Liberal MP Shaun Chen announced Monday he will resign from the House of Commons effective August 15, becoming the sixth member of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s caucus to leave this year and part of a wave of byelections already shaping up to be Canada’s busiest since 1978.
Chen, who has represented Scarborough North since 2015, said injuries from a car accident in fall 2025 have left him unable to travel to Ottawa as often as the role requires. Carney thanked Chen for his service in a social media post the same day.
Shaun, thank you for your years of service to the people of Scarborough North. Your advocacy for young people and your work to combat racism have made a real difference in your community and across Canada.
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) August 10, 2026
Wishing you a full recovery and best of luck for what comes next. I know… https://t.co/6Bw6s8A3UL
His departure brings Liberal caucus losses to six this year, against seven for Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, though only three of those Conservative departures actually vacated a seat rather than crossing the floor to the Liberals.
Read: Canada Heads for Its Most Federal By-Elections Since 1978 — at $24M Price Tag
Chen’s resignation has also drawn unverified claims online, with one commentator posting screenshots and social media clips she says show him traveling to China around the same period.
Newly-retired Liberal MP Shaun Chen, eating noodles with Chinese Communist Party Central Propaganda Department broadcasters in March of 2026.
— Andy Lee (@RealAndyLeeShow) August 11, 2026
He claimed he was unable to fulfill his travel requirements as a parliamentarian. https://t.co/NWYwUGCtxB pic.twitter.com/LMPVFOiNHj
Neither Chen’s office nor the Liberal Party has addressed those specific claims, and no news organization has independently confirmed them.