Canadian Tories Saw Mysterious Decrease in Vote in Areas Flagged For Chinese Interference

Erin O'Toole, leader of Canada's Conservative Party, delivers a concession speec
Cole Burston/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Chris Tomlinson

During the 2021 Canadian federal election, Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) candidates saw an unexpected decrease in votes concentrated in areas some have claimed are impacted to Chinese Communist Party election interference.

The three ridings (electoral districts) that have been flagged over possible Chinese Communis Party (CCP) interference, Markham-Unionville, Steveston Richmond East, and Richmond Centre, all saw a mysterious large decrease in votes for CPC candidates compared to the prior election in 2019.

In the riding of Markham-Unionville, a suburb of Toronto, the CPC candidate lost over 7,000 votes compared to 2019, while the Liberals gained fewer than 1,500. As no other parties gained votes compared to the last election, it appears the CPC voters simply did not vote at all, the National Post reports.

The CPC also saw similar drops in votes in Richmond Centre, losing over 6,300 votes, and in Steveson Richmond East where the candidate lost over 4,400 votes.

The Liberal MP for Markham-Unionville, Paul Chiang, is said to have not shown any favoritism to the CCP in parliament, voting for motions to condemn the CCP’s treatment of the Uighurs.

This was not the case, however, for his Liberal Party colleague Han Dong, MP for Don Valley North, who has been noted as skipping votes criticising the CCP, despite attending other votes in parliament on the same day.

MP Dong is at the centre of the allegations of CCP interference in Canadian elections, as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) allegedly warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prior to the election but Trudeau allegedly ignored the warning, telling Dong that CSIS was investigating him instead.

“I want to make everyone understand fully that Han Dong is an outstanding member of our team and suggestions that he is somehow not loyal to Canada should not be entertained,” Prime Minister Trudeau said, defending Dong.

It is unclear why the CPC votes declined so much during the 2021 election in areas with large Chinese communities, with polling analyst Éric Grenier stating, “In these ridings, it’s clear that something was happening that was motivating those voters, it’s just impossible to say what it was.”

Since the allegations of CCP election interference, many Canadian opposition parties have called for a formal inquiry into the extent of any interference but Prime Minister Trudeau, who is alleged to have benefited from the interference, has instead called a special rapporteur to decide if an inquiry or other probe is needed.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.

 

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