Liberal MP’s travel documents show claims he voted on bills while in China are false

After Liberal MP Shaun Chen announced on Monday his plans to resign his seat in the House of Commons, he was accused online of breaking House rules by voting on legislation while he was in China earlier this year.

The claims, which were amplified by right-wing influencers and a handful of current and former Conservative MPs, are based on the date stamps on videos shared to the popular Chinese social media platform WeChat showing Chen visiting China.

The claim

“Shaun Chen enjoys some ice cream in a video posted on March 25th in China. Voting records show Shaun Chen voted electronically six times in the House of Commons on March 25th,” reads one of a series of posts from independent journalist Andy Lee this week.

“If Shaun Chen voted remotely while in China, this is potentially a serious breach of national security. Accessing CCP controlled networks to sign in to secure parliamentary systems does not seem very smart,” reads a post from another account.

Conservative MP John Barlow reposted a thread about Chen’s travel, saying, “This goes much deeper than a trip to China. There are serious questions that need answers.”

In a now-deleted reply to that post on X, Barlow then cited the House of Commons standing orders, which prohibit members of Parliament from voting while outside of Canada.

Many of the posts claimed Chen voted on the government’s controversial hate crime legislation, Bill C-9, on March 25 while he was in China.

Lee said in a later post that it’s possible the WeChat videos were edited and posted after the trip, but added it was “more than fair to question if he voted in China.”

The facts

Members of Parliament are forbidden from participating in House votes while they are outside of the country.

The House of Commons standing orders, the rules that govern House procedures, state that electronic votes can only be cast within Canada.

Standing order 45 (12) (a) also states that a member’s identity will be visually confirmed. MPs must log into an app to record their vote. The app uses facial recognition technology to confirm they are who they say they are.

A spokesperson for the office of House Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia said there are technical controls and human validation processes in place to ensure MPs are inside the country when they vote.

“These measures are implemented in accordance with House of Commons security and technology policies and are intended to detect and address circumstances that may indicate voting activity originating from outside Canada,” the Speaker’s office said.

Chen’s office said the MP was in China between March 14 and March 22, and returned to Canada for the House of Commons sitting on March 23 following its spring recess.

Chen’s office shared a copy of his boarding pass for the trip, which shows he was on a flight that left Taipei for Toronto at 6:50 p.m. local time on March 22. That route typically takes around 14 hours and lands on the same day, due to the time change.

The Canadian Press also has viewed a photo of the visa stamps in Chen’s passport, which show his arrival in China was dated March 14 and his departure was dated March 22. CP is not sharing the photo because it contains private, personal information.

“The member of Parliament did not vote from outside Canada. As shared in his recent message about his resignation, his ongoing significant health issues prevent him from travelling to Ottawa as frequently as the role requires, so he has decided to step down,” Chen’s office said in an email.

“This was his first and only trip to China since May 2019, a trip he took with the Canada-China Legislative Association on official parliamentary business with other MPs and senators.”

Chen said in a statement issued when he resigned that he was in a vehicle accident last fall while commuting between Toronto and Ottawa. He plans to leave his post next month.

A number of critics, including Lee, questioned this week why Chen would be well enough to travel to China but not to travel to Ottawa.

The trip to China was sponsored by the Hakka Canadian Association, a group that states its aim is to “promote friendships” among members of the Hakka ethnic group in Canada. It is chaired by Markham Coun. Joe Li.

Chen’s office also shared emails between Chen and House of Commons IT staff co-ordinating his use of a loaned tablet and a phone with a temporary SIM card during the trip. The emails note that his travel was evaluated as having a “potentially high cybersecurity risk.”

The Office of Canada’s Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner posted to its website a public disclosure including details of Chen’s trip. The invitation from the Hakka Canadian Association says the trip was from March 14 to 22 and included seven nights in hotels.