After announcing his resignation from the House of Commons, Liberal MP Shaun Chen faced online allegations of violating House rules by voting on legislation while he was in China earlier this year. The claims, circulated by right-wing influencers and some current and former Conservative MPs, centered on videos posted on WeChat showing Chen in China on the same date he allegedly voted in the House of Commons.
According to independent journalist Andy Lee, a video showed Chen enjoying ice cream in China on March 25th, the same day he purportedly voted electronically in the House of Commons. Concerns were raised about the potential national security implications of remote voting from China. Conservative MP John Barlow echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for answers beyond Chen’s travel to China.
House of Commons regulations dictate that members of Parliament cannot participate in votes while outside of Canada. Electronic votes are restricted to within the country, with stringent identity verification measures in place, including facial recognition technology. The Speaker’s office confirmed that thorough technical and human validation processes are implemented to ensure MPs are physically present in Canada when voting.
Chen’s office clarified that he returned to Canada on March 23 for the House of Commons session following his trip to China from March 14 to March 22. Supporting evidence, including Chen’s boarding pass and visa stamps, corroborated his travel dates and return to Canada before the voting session. Chen’s office attributed his resignation to health issues affecting his ability to travel to Ottawa regularly.
Critics questioned Chen’s ability to travel to China while citing health reasons for his limited travel to Ottawa. The trip to China was organized by the Hakka Canadian Association for parliamentary business. Emails between Chen and House of Commons IT staff revealed cybersecurity concerns during his trip. The Office of Canada’s Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner disclosed details of Chen’s trip, which included hotel stays from March 14 to 22.