(OTTAWA) Liberal MP Han Dong, who has been riddled with explosive allegations that he advised a Chinese consul to delay the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor to help his party politically, is resigning from the faction.
Updated yesterday at 11:41pm.
The official-elect announced late Wednesday night to a sparsely seated House of Commons that he would now sit as an independent MP. In a speech he ended in tears, he categorically denied having suggested to a senior official that the release of the two Michaels be delayed.
“As a Parliamentarian and as a person, I have never – and never would have – supported or advocated violations of the fundamental rights of any Canadian or anyone anywhere in the period,” he said.
“I want to reassure Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig and their family that I have done nothing to harm them. Like all Members of this House, I have worked hard to defend their interests,” the Ontario MP vowed, affirming that the allegations against him were “false”.
If Han Dong decides to retire, do so to avoid being distracted, he stressed: “I will continue to serve my constituents in Don Valley North as an independent member of this House. […] to ensure that the business of government and parliament is not disrupted. »
Global News Report
A few hours earlier, the Global News network reported, based on two confidential sources, that the elected official had suggested to the Chinese consul-general in Toronto that Beijing should wait before releasing the two arbitrarily detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in China. La Presse could not independently confirm this information.
According to the report, the MP told diplomat Han Tao in February 2021 that her release could benefit the Conservative Party of Canada, whose then-Chairman Erin O’Toole advocated a tougher crackdown on Xi Jinping’s regime.
A spokeswoman for Canadian Prime Minister Alison Murphy told Global News that they were previously unaware of the existence of the interview and that Han Dong never appeared on the file as an unofficial government negotiator (“back channel”).
“Extremely serious allegations”
“Although the authorities and the law must later eliminate the serious allegations that are the subject of MP Han Dong, it is indeed necessary that he no longer sits in the Liberal faction and possibly even in Parliament,” reacted the bloc leader Yves -François Blanchet late Wednesday evening.
New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh urged Justin Trudeau to chase the chosen one out of his caucus.
“These are extremely serious allegations. If true, Canadian security was compromised for political reasons. Prime Minister Trudeau must remove Han Dong from the caucus and these allegations must be fully investigated,” he wrote ahead of the director’s announcement.
“This is serious information about actions that threaten the very foundation of our Canadian democracy. The hiding places must be stopped. We must stop the cover-up,” Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre tweeted.
“If that’s true, it borders on high treason”
The two Michaels were arrested in December 2018 at the request of the United States, a few days after the arrest of the finance director of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, Meng Wanzhou.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau
On September 24, just days after his re-election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the two men would return to Canada after more than 1,000 days behind bars. Her release came after the British Columbia Supreme Court approved Ms. Meng’s release.
“If it’s true that Han Dong said that, he’s someone dishonorable, and then we can almost say it borders on treason,” said Guy Saint-Jacques, who was Canada’s ambassador to China from 2012 to 2016.
The allegations are piling up
This isn’t the first time Han Dong’s ties with China have made headlines. In late February, Global News reported that the Chinese Communist Party had maneuvered to favor its victory in the race for the liberal nomination in the Don Valley North race.
Prime Minister Trudeau has defended his MP more than once.
But the accumulation of allegations against him weighs heavily, notes Guy Saint-Jacques: “Several questions arise about Han Dong […]. Soon we’ll have to buy a lie detector and connect a lot of people in Ottawa to it. »
Opposition parties in Ottawa are united in calling for a public and independent investigation into Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections. Former governor-general David Johnston was tasked with making the decision as Justin Trudeau’s special rapporteur; his verdict is expected by May 23.
Learn more
69 On February 15, 2023, 69 countries and the European Union endorsed Canada’s Declaration on Arbitrary Detention, an Ottawa initiative that stems from the detention of the two Michaels.
SOURCE: GLOBAL AFFAIRS CANADA
1019 Number of days Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor spent behind bars in China before being released, September 24, 2021