Han Dong resigns from Liberal caucus, denies interference allegations
Han Dong resigns from Liberal caucus, denies interference allegations
Han Dong has announced he will be sitting as an independent MP after being the subject of allegations involving interference by China in Canadian affairs.
"I will continue to serve the residents of Don Valley North as an independent member of this House. I'm taking these extraordinary steps because sitting in the government caucus is a privilege, and my presence there may be seen as some as a conflict of duty," Dong told the House of Commons on Wednesday evening.
"I will be sitting as an independent to ensure that the business of government, and indeed, the business of parliament, is not interrupted as I work to clear my name."
Citing unnamed "national security sources," Global News reported on Wednesday that Dong had suggested to a senior Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that China should delay releasing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor -- the two Canadians who had been imprisoned in China from 2018 to 2021 -- in order to avoid benefitting the Conservative Party.
Dong admitted in the Global News report he had spoken with the Chinese official to discuss the two Michaels, but denied the allegations that he pushed for their release to be delayed. In the House, he told MPs he did "nothing to cause any harm" to the two Michaels and "worked hard and advocated for their interest."
“The allegations made against me are as false as the ones made against you,” Dong said, referring to Kovrig and Spavor in his remarks.
Last month, Global News also reported Dong was preferred by Beijing over another Chinese Canadian Liberal, and that he was a “witting affiliate” of Chinese interference networks.
CTV News has not independently verified any of these allegations.
"Media reports today quoted unverified and anonymous sources (that) have attacked my reputation and called into question my loyalty to Canada. Let me be clear, what has been reported is false. And I will defend myself against these absolutely untrue claims," he said in the House.
Dong became emotional when he started speaking about his family. “The truth will protect us,” he said. Upon concluding, Dong received applause by some Liberal MPs in the chamber.
Speaking to CTV News in the foyer, a few Liberal MPs said it was a difficult evening and discussed how important due process is.
“I’m confident that when the truth is revealed and all of this has then transpired, we’ll have a better understanding as to what has happened. In the meantime, I’m going to give him the respect to make the decision that he’s made… I know he cares about our country,” said Mississauga-Lakeshore, Ont. MP Liberal MP Charles Sousa, who worked with Dong in the Ontario legislature. Dong was first elected in 2018 and had previously served as a provincial MPP.
Prior to Dong's announcement, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre tweeted that the allegations were "serious reports of actions that threaten the core of our Canadian democracy," and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called for Dong to be removed from the Liberal caucus pending an investigation of the "extremely serious allegations."
Both leaders restated their calls for an independent public inquiry into foreign meddling in Canadian affairs.
Dong is not the only politician caught up in allegations of foreign interference.
Ontario MPP Vincent Ke, who represents the same riding as Dong, resigned from the Progressive Conservative caucus earlier this month after he was alleged in a Global News report to have been involved in Chinese interference networks -- allegations that Ke denies.
With files from CTV News’ Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello and CTV National News Producer Rachel Hanes
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to assure Canadians that his government is adequately addressing the threat of foreign interference took a hit on Wednesday, when the majority of MPs in the House of Commons voted for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside,' a call Johnston quickly rejected.
A New Democrat MP is trying to convince his colleagues to change the rules that govern the House of Commons in a series of ways he says would instill 'democratic controls' on the prime minister's 'unfettered' powers.
Monday morning, the Public Service Alliance of Canada announced it had reached a 'tentative' agreement with the federal government for the 120,000 picketing Treasury Board workers who, since April 19, had been engaged in one of the largest strikes in Canadian history. Here's a rundown of the developments from Parliament Hill as they happened.
The House committee studying foreign election interference heard from top 2019 and 2021 Liberal and Conservative campaign directors on Tuesday, with party officials from both camps speaking about the need for politicians to come together to address any "legislative gaps" ahead of the next vote.
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.
Danielle Smith's win in the Alberta election hands her the most starkly divided province confronting any premier in Canada, writes commentator Don Martin.
Special rapporteur David Johnston didn't recommend public inquiry knowing it was a pathetically insufficient response for a foreign democratic assault of this magnitude, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
To frame a few new illustrations on pages tucked inside a passport as proof of a Liberal plot to purge the Canadian historical record seems like a severe stretch, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is a bright former federal prosecutor, who was destined to be a star in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. But in an opinion column on CTVNews.ca, Don Martin argues Mendicino has taken a stunning fall from grace, stumbling badly on important issues just 18 months into the job.
It's the most peculiar of elections with the frontrunner and her main opponent being the same person, writes columnist Don Martin. 'In the looming Alberta showdown, it's Premier Danielle Smith versus her mouth.'
Fires across the country are burning millions of hectares of land but what does that really look like? CTVNews.ca compared the blazes to some cities and lakes in the country showing just how big they have gotten.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents, according to an indictment unsealed Friday that alleges that he described a Pentagon 'plan of attack' and shared a classified map related to a military operation.
Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson shocked Britain on Friday by quitting as a lawmaker after being told he will be sanctioned for misleading Parliament.
Despite the alarming facts and figures, experts say Canada is far more reactive than it is proactive when it comes to wildfires and they’re calling for a national campaign on wildfire education to better prepare for the future.
Showers are predicted Saturday over the aggressive wildfire threatening Tumbler Ridge, but forecasters say thunderstorms could sweep through the parched region without bringing any rain.
Air Canada says it made a mistake in rejecting some compensation claims from the thousands of travellers affected by delayed flights due to computer malfunctions.
A shopping app that didn’t exist four months ago is making quite the splash for online shoppers. But experts warn of potential data dangers for Canadian customers.
Showers are predicted Saturday over the aggressive wildfire threatening Tumbler Ridge, but forecasters say thunderstorms could sweep through the parched region without bringing any rain.
Despite the alarming facts and figures, experts say Canada is far more reactive than it is proactive when it comes to wildfires and they’re calling for a national campaign on wildfire education to better prepare for the future.
The father of Tori Stafford, an Ontario girl who was murdered in 2009, says the latest decision to transfer convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison is a 'slap in the face' to all murder victims' families.
Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson shocked Britain on Friday by quitting as a lawmaker after being told he will be sanctioned for misleading Parliament.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents, according to an indictment unsealed Friday that alleges that he described a Pentagon 'plan of attack' and shared a classified map related to a military operation.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's chances of getting reelected after a July election have received a potentially important boost following an agreement between more than a dozen small leftist parties to run on a joint ticket, a deal that is expected to provide key support for Sanchez's Socialists in any post-election negotiations to form government.
France is calling him "the backpack hero," a young Catholic pilgrim on a walking tour of cathedrals who came face to face with the man who stabbed several children in a park in Annecy.
'Kids are being massacred in their schools, literally … their heads are being decapitated because of the power of an assault bullet, (which) is unlike anything, no other weapon,' says gun violence prevention activist Samuel Schwartz, who is among the organizers of a sit-in demanding change on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Colombia's government and its largest remaining guerrilla group agreed Friday to a six-month cease-fire at talks in Cuba, in the latest attempt to resolve a conflict dating back to the 1960s.
Canada requested use of the European Union's compound in Kabul to help with tasks such as fingerprinting for those fleeing Afghanistan, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press.
The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear the appeal of an Alberta woman who was unwilling to be vaccinated in order to get a life-saving organ transplant.
A little white pill has given Syrian President Bashar Assad powerful leverage with his Arab neighbours, who have been willing to bring him out of pariah status in hopes he will stop the flow of highly addictive Captagon amphetamines out of Syria.
Canadians who make content online are to be excluded from future regulations that the Liberal government is imposing on digital giants, a new draft policy shows.
Facebook owner Meta Platforms on Thursday gave employees a sneak peek at a series of AI tools it was building, including ChatGPT-like chatbots planned for Messenger and WhatsApp that could converse using different personas.
Scientists have documented the first-known instance of a 'virgin birth' by a crocodile, which had been living in isolation for 16 years at Costa Rican zoo, according to a study published Wednesday.
Daily U.S. sign-ups for Netflix have jumped in the first few days after the streaming giant's password-sharing crackdown came into effect on May 23, data from research firm Antenna showed.
A Tennessee man pleaded guilty Friday to helping two other men charged with fatally shooting rapper Young Dolph in a daytime ambush at a Memphis bakery.
U.S. lawmakers are considering rolling back an Obama-era rule that requires airlines to show the total price of a ticket upfront in advertising, while also tweaking training requirements for airline pilots and making other changes in a massive bill covering the Federal Aviation Administration.
Mexico's Labour Department issued new rules Friday requiring employers to pay for internet and provide ergonomic chairs for employees working from home.
A shopping app that didn’t exist four months ago is making quite the splash for online shoppers. But experts warn of potential data dangers for Canadian customers.
Rescuers in Washington state are praising the resourcefulness of a 10-year-old girl who survived on her own for more than 24 hours in the rugged terrain of the Cascade mountains after getting lost while out with her family.
The April Facebook post hardly seemed like national news at the time for Deptford Little League president Don Bozzuffi. He'd lost patience when two umpires resigned in the wake of persistent spectator abuse. So he wrote an updated code of conduct.
Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer "into the racing business."
A group of climate activists claimed responsibility on Wednesday for deflating the tires of sport utility vehicles in Denmark's capital. More than 100 vehicles were vandalized, police said.
