MP Paul Chiang Withdraws from 2025 Election Amid Controversy

In Toronto, a Liberal Party MP named Paul Chiang, who is known for making controversial remarks, has decided not to run in the upcoming 2025 Federal election. Chiang, who represents Markham-Unionville in the Greater Toronto Area, had previously made a threatening comment about another politician, Joe Tay. He joked that Tay could be taken to the Chinese consulate in Toronto for a bounty of CA$183,000, which is about one million Hong Kong dollars. This bounty was set by Hong Kong authorities because Tay is a critic of China’s government.

People were upset about Chiang’s comments, especially since they were being looked into by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Prime Minister Mark Carney was under pressure to remove Chiang from the election list. Although Carney initially defended Chiang, saying he had apologized and deserved to continue as a candidate, he later faced backlash from opposition parties and the media, who strongly criticized Chiang’s statements.

Joe Tay refused to accept Chiang’s apology, stating that the comments were meant to scare him and should not be acceptable in Canada. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre demanded that the Prime Minister reveal any financial ties to China. A group called Hong Kong Watch even wrote to the RCMP asking them to investigate Chiang for possibly encouraging kidnapping through his comments.

Chiang, who was born in Pakistan, did apologize for his statement, calling it a serious mistake. He won his seat in 2021 by beating Conservative MP Bob Saroya. The Liberals also faced issues with foreign interference in elections, as a recent report stated that China is heavily involved in trying to influence Canadian democracy.

In March, the Liberals dropped another MP named Chandra Arya from the election race for unclear reasons. Overall, this situation raises concerns about foreign influence in Canada’s elections, especially from China and India.