Liberal Member of Parliament Shaun Chen faced online accusations of violating House rules by participating in House of Commons votes while he was in China earlier this year, following his announcement of resignation. Various claims, circulated by conservative figures and echoed by some current and former Conservative MPs, centered on video evidence shared on the Chinese social media platform WeChat, showing Chen in China. The posts alleged that Chen was seen enjoying ice cream in a video dated March 25th, the same day he supposedly voted electronically six times in the House of Commons.
Concerns were raised regarding the potential breach of national security if Chen indeed voted while abroad. Conservative MP John Barlow highlighted the issue, emphasizing the seriousness of the matter beyond a simple trip to China. Referring to the House of Commons standing orders, Barlow pointed out the prohibition against MPs voting outside of Canada. The focus of the allegations was on Chen’s alleged vote on Bill C-9, the government’s contentious hate crime legislation, on March 25 while he was purportedly in China.
While it was suggested that the WeChat videos might have been edited and posted after the trip, the questions remained about the validity of the voting claims. Parliamentary rules explicitly forbid MPs from participating in House votes while outside the country. The regulations dictate that electronic votes can only be cast within Canada, and visual confirmation of a member’s identity is required through facial recognition technology.
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for House Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia’s office emphasized the presence of technical controls and validation processes to ensure MPs are physically present in Canada when voting. Chen’s office clarified that he was in China from March 14 to March 22, returning to Canada for the House of Commons session on March 23 after the spring recess. Supporting evidence included Chen’s boarding pass showing his return flight from Taipei to Toronto on March 22.
Chen’s office reiterated that he did not vote from outside Canada, attributing his resignation to ongoing health issues that limit his ability to travel to Ottawa frequently. They explained that his trip to China was part of official parliamentary business with the Canada-China Legislative Association. Questions were raised about Chen’s health status, especially considering his ability to travel to China but not to Ottawa. The trip to China was sponsored by the Hakka Canadian Association, with the details of the trip disclosed publicly by the Office of Canada’s Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.