RCMP probing comments from Liberal Paul Chiang about Chinese bounty placed on Conservative
Carney defends Chiang as Conservative candidate Joe Tay says he fears for his safety
The RCMP is reviewing whether a Toronto-area Liberal candidate broke the law by suggesting people turn in a Conservative now running in a nearby riding to the Chinese consulate and collect a bounty.
"Foreign actor interference, including instances of transnational repression, continues to be a pervasive threat in Canada," said Mountie spokesperson Kristine Kelly in a statement to CBC News on Monday night.
"The RCMP is looking into the matter, however no specific details can be provided at this time."
The RCMP's involvement adds pressure on Liberal Leader Mark Carney, who's facing calls to drop Paul Chiang as the party's candidate in Markham-Unionville.
Carney called the comments "deeply offensive" at campaign stop in Vaughan, Ont., earlier Monday — but said Chiang will remain a candidate.
"I view this as a teachable moment," Carney said.
The controversy dates back to January when Chiang, the incumbent MP, told a Chinese-language media news conference that people could cash in if they turned Joe Tay in to the Chinese consulate in Toronto. At the time, Tay was seeking the party's nomination in Chiang's riding. He is now running for the Conservatives in the suburban Toronto battleground riding of Don Valley North.
In December, Hong Kong police issued a bounty and arrest warrant for Tay — worth $1 million HK, roughly $184,000 — and other China democracy advocates. Tay is a co-founder of Canada-based NGO HongKonger Station and runs a YouTube channel that promotes democracy and free speech.
The warrants are largely seen as a way for authorities in Beijing-controlled Hong Kong to target vocal critics based abroad. At the time, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly denounced the bounties.
Carney called the comments a lapse in judgment and defended Chiang as a veteran police officer with "more than a quarter-century of service to his community."
"This is a person of integrity," Carney said. "It's also an individual who has family in Hong Kong. He's under no illusions about the situation there, the situation of broader China."
Tay has spoken out, calling the comments "insidious" and saying he now fears for his safety.
"His threatening public comments were intended to intimidate me, and they must not be tolerated," Tay said in a statement Monday.
"They are intended to send a chilling signal to the entire community in order to force compliance to Beijing's political goals."
Tay said even before Chiang's comments, he had been in touch with the RCMP about personal protection.
"Suggesting that people collect a bounty from the Chinese Communist Party to deliver a political opponent to the Chinese consulate is disgusting and must never be condoned," he wrote.
Chiang's apology rejected
Chiang issued an apology Friday, saying his comments "were deplorable."
Carney faced multiple questions from reporters about Chiang during his Monday morning housing announcement. He said Chiang has apologized directly to Tay.
"He will continue with his candidacy, going forward, having made those apologies very clearly to the individual, to the community and moving forward to serve," said Carney.
However, Tay characterized the apology as an "unsolicited attempt to contact me."
"I want to be clear: No apology is sufficient," said Tay.
Gloria Fung, head of the community group Canada Hong Kong Link, said she was "absolutely appalled" by Carney's response.
"He has sent out the wrong message to Canadians that his party is not serious about the threat of transnational repression and election interference from a hostile foreign state player on Canadian soil," she told CBC News.
"It will also be sending a green light to foreign state players that they can continue with high-yield, low-cost transnational repression and foreign interference without any consequence. I can't believe what I heard this morning."
Fung's group is one of 40 diaspora organizations calling on Carney to revoke Chiang's candidacy.
"The comments were widely seen as legitimizing foreign interference and potentially threatening Tay's safety," wrote a coalition of Canadian Hong Kong groups in a statement Sunday.
Diaspora group calls for RCMP probe
Another diaspora group, Hong Kong Watch, wrote to the RCMP Monday calling for an investigation into Chiang's conduct.
In an open letter to Commissioner Mike Duheme, the group suggested Chiang's comments might fit the Criminal Code definition of "counselling to commit the indictable offence of kidnapping." The group also pointed to a provision of a foreign interference bill which makes it an offence to intimidate or threaten a person "for the benefit of or in association with a foreign entity."
"It is without question that Mr. Chiang's comments are an attempt to intimidate Mr. Tay and his supporters and to silence him during an election," wrote Ed Simpson, interim director of Hong Kong Watch.
"It is without question that there are implicit threats of violence and an illegitimate reward in the form of a bounty."
In response to the letter, the RCMP spokesperson said the force takes reports and allegations of transnational repression seriously and has dedicated resources for "investigating criminal activity related to foreign interference in Canada's democratic processes."
"To ensure the integrity of our investigations, the RCMP typically does not disclose information relating to investigations unless criminal charges are laid, rendering it a matter of public record," Kelly said.
Earlier Monday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the comments go beyond being inappropriate or an off-colour joke.
"Joe Tay is extremely afraid. He's afraid for his life," Poilievre said during a stop in Saint John, N.B.
"These comments by this Liberal candidate may well rise to the level of criminal because they called for someone to be turned over to a hostile foreign government on a bounty, a government that wants to kill this Canadian citizen."
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Chiang's comments would be disturbing for the many Canadians who have fled repressive regimes and still live in fear. As the foreign interference inquiry heard, Beijing is known to harass and intimidate members of the Chinese diaspora to assert control and suppress dissident views.
"For Mark Carney to say I'm going to accept his candidate really sends a message that that kind of commentary ultimately is acceptable," Singh said.
"Ultimately saying that for the folks out there who are afraid, the folks living with constant fear, 'You know what, you're less important to me, what's more important to me is my party.'"
A spokesperson for the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force, the body set up to monitor foreign interference during elections and leadership contests, said the comments don't fall under its mandate. SITE is made up of the RCMP, the Communications Security Establishment, Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Global Affairs Canada.
The task force reports to what's called the "panel of five," which is made up senior government officials who decide whether to go public with a warning to Canadians about possible election interference.
"The bounty against the other person is an example of transnational repression," said Laurie-Anne Kempton with the Privy Council Office during a briefing Monday.
"SITE is concerned about the bounty placed by Hong Kong on Mr. Tay."
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With files from Ashley Burke and Darren Major