A growing political scandal has erupted in Canada after Liberal MP Paul Chiang admitted he publicly encouraged people to kidnap a Conservative candidate and deliver him to the Chinese consulate in return for bounty money.

The situation is described by some as “a genuine scandal,” warning that “incitement to violence against a political opponent is off the charts.”

In January, incumbent Chiang made controversial comments about Conservative candidate Joe Tay, who was placed under a HK$1 million (about $180,000) bounty by Hong Kong police. According to the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, Chiang publicly suggested at a news conference that attendees could claim the bounty by delivering Tay to the Chinese consulate in Toronto. 

Michael Chong, a Conservative candidate, decried the remarks as “outrageous,” adding that they are part of “a long time pattern of Liberals neglecting Canada’s national security in favour of their own partisan interest.”

Further fueling the controversy, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said that Chiang’s statement “reflects the Liberals’ long-standing mockery and neglect of national security for their own partisan gain.” Poilievre also asserted that Prime Minister Mark Carney, the current leader of the Liberal Party, is “weak and compromised by money his company owes Beijing,” alluding to Carney’s dealings during his time associated with Brookfield.

Carney has been criticized for not speaking out forcefully against the incident, which Chong argued “creates the dangerous impression that he condones this despicable suggestion.”

Senator Leo Housakos drew attention to what he described as the party’s apparent double standard, pointing out that another Liberal candidate was removed in a different riding for separate reasons, yet Chiang remained on the ballot in Markham-Unionville.

As outrage spread, critics emphasized the human cost of Chinese authorities targeting Canadian citizens.

“People have been executed,” one commentator stated, noting the real and immediate dangers posed by the Chinese Communist Party. The debate intensified with the government’s Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force set to deliver an update on election security.

Chiang apologized on social media, calling his words “deplorable” and “a complete lapse of judgment,” adding, “As a former police officer, I should have known better.”

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