Bob Mackin
A Toronto socialite, who hosted political fundraisers for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is accused of misleading an insurance industry regulator about her academic credentials.
Hong Wei (Winnie) Liao with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Respon)
Insurance Council of British Columbia executive director Janet Sinclair ordered cancellation of Hong Wei (Winnie) Liao’s life and accident and sickness insurance licence on May 29 after an investigation into a breach of the council’s rules and code of conduct. Sinclair’s order said Liao must wait three years before reapplying for a licence.
Liao, president of Respon Wealth Management Corp. in Toronto and Richmond, requested a hearing to dispute the cancellation.
The notice of the July 22-26 hearing says that, during the council’s November 2023 hearing, Liao “testified that she had a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Canada and in support of this testimony, she tendered a diploma and transcript purportedly from York University.”
The council alleges Liao breached the council’s code of conduct because she never attended York University, which never gave her a diploma or transcript.
“The licensee received the York documents from an individual to whom the licensee paid money in exchange for them,” the order alleges. “The licensee never completed the courses listed in the York University transcript.”
The council will decide whether to confirm, revoke or vary the May 29 order. If the order is upheld, the council will decide whether to reprimand Liao, suspend or cancel her licence, fine her up to $25,000 or impose conditions on her licence.
A 2018 advertorial in the Scarborough Mirror said Liao “has been devoted to the financial industry for almost 30 years” and that she gained master degrees in both China and Canada.
Liao has not responded for comment. Her lawyer, William Smart, did.
“The issue at the hearing will be whether she knew it was forged at the time she presented it or was herself a victim of someone else’s dishonesty,” Smart said by email.
Liao is a frequent speaker and/or sponsor at Metro Vancouver events for cultural and business associations that are aligned with the People’s Republic of China consulate.
In October 2021, Liao attended a Vancouver promotion for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics during a series of local celebrations of 72 years of Communist Party rule in China. She was photographed in a group that included Chinese government diplomats, leaders of the Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations, Sen. Yuen Pau Woo, Vancouver mayoral candidate Ken Sim and municipal councillors Alexa Loo (Richmond) and James Wang (Burnaby).
In June 2024, Respon sponsored the Vancouver Chinese Amateur Golf Charity Invitational to benefit Unicef. In February, Respon hosted a Year of the Dragon Chinese Spring Festival Gala at the River Rock Casino’s show theatre in Richmond. Attendees included Liberal MP Shaun Chen (Scarborough North), B.C. NDP MLA Henry Yao (Richmond-South Centre), BC United MLA Teresa Wat (Richmond-North Centre) and Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie.
Respon’s corporate video, shown at the River Rock and elsewhere, features clips of Liao, her family, staff and various politicians, including Trudeau, who appears with Liao inside and outside a private residence.
Elections Canada’s contributions database lists more than $28,000 in political donations from North York Ont.-resident Liao. Except for the $2,072 to two Conservative Party riding associations in 2014, the rest were made to the Liberal Party, including $1,000 to Trudeau’s Papineau riding association.
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