Liberal Party tightens membership rules ahead of leadership vote

Liberal Party rules previously allowed anyone who ‘ordinarily lives in Canada’ to vote, regardless of immigration status. Ottawa allowed over two million temporary residents into the country last year.

The lowly Liberals tightened membership rules after a “fake profiles” controversy threatened Canadian democracy. To be eligible for a free membership, applicants must be at least 14 and “a Canadian citizen … or be a permanent resident.”  

Liberal Party rules previously allowed anyone who “ordinarily lives in Canada” regardless of immigration status to vote, reported Blacklock’s.

A 2019 nomination vote in Don Valley-North sparked debate about a possible rule change as foreign students from outside the riding reportedly voted for candidate Han Dong under threat from China.

The Liberal government allowed 1,040,985 foreign students and 766,520 migrant workers into Canada in 2023, a new record.

MPs, who did not mention the Dong controversy, called for a clean leadership contest void of foreign interference. “We have to be very realistic to the threats of foreign interference,” Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell, parliamentary secretary for public safety, told reporters. 

There must be “no doubts around the vote,” said Yasir Naqvi, a Liberal MP and parliamentary secretary for health.

The Party will vote for Trudeau’s successor on March 9, with a January 27 cut-off for new membership applications. Candidates vying to lead the party have until January 23 to file their bids and submit a $350,000 entry fee.

Party spokesperson Parker Lund confirmed that officials are working to remove fake registrations from the voter rolls ahead of the leadership election.

The reports emerged after some individuals boasted online about registering fake names, pet names, and even addresses linked to the Prime Minister's residence or the Chinese Embassy.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau triggered the leadership race after proroguing Parliament on January 6, 2025. He failed to secure enough votes for an upcoming confidence vote, and quietly resigned.

The House Affairs committee previously learned of “strange practices” at the 2019 nomination vote that aroused further suspicion into Han Dong, an Independent MP from the Greater Toronto Area.

Trudeau would not explain why he approved Dong’s candidacy twice despite knowing he was under surveillance as early as 2019.

“Once someone is an actual MP, a party leader cannot fire an MP,” said Trudeau. “All a party leader can do at the largest level is remove them from their party caucus, have them sit as an independent.”

Aides also did not explain why the Dong was kept as a Liberal Party candidate through the 2019 and 2021 general elections, reported Blacklock’s. The Party would not surrender documents concerning his nomination.

“With respect to the nomination meeting, there clearly were strange practices, unusual practices going on,” testified David Johnston, special rapporteur on election interference. 

Evidence suggested Chinese foreign students attending a private school outside the riding, were bused in to vote for Dong, Commissioner Marie Josée Hogue wrote in a May 3 Initial Report to Parliament. 

“Did you ask if the Prime Minister knew about what those irregularities were?” asked New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan. “I believe the Prime Minister was aware there was some question about the actual nomination and the busing in of people, etcetera,” replied Johnston.

The Prime Minister’s Office expected “updates on any new information” after the 2019 general election, according to an In Camera Examination Summary of sworn statements by political aides. “There were back and forth discussions with intelligence services at the time.”

MP Dong quit the Liberal caucus in March 2023 after Global News disclosed he was in frequent contact with the Chinese Consulate in Toronto. He was also blacklisted from cabinet appointments.

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Alex Dhaliwal

Calgary Based Journalist

Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

COMMENTS

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  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-01-13 18:48:59 -0500
    What a rat’s nest the Liberal Party has become. They must lose every seat and wander the political wilderness for a few decades I’m not sure why but the federal Liberals have been corrupt for many years. Whenever they were in power, scandals flourished. Even when in opposition, they tried political tricks which ended up with the proroguement of Parliament.