Bob Mackin
Richmond city councillor Chak Au was chosen on March 25 to be the Conservative Party candidate in Richmond Centre-Marpole. His opponent for the nomination, Zach Segal, will run in Richmond East-Steveston.
The decisions settle the war of words between Kenny Chiu, the Richmond East-Steveston MP from 2019 to 2021, and his challenger, former Vancouver South MP Wai Young.
The Jan. 28 Hogue Commission final report said Chiu’s unsuccessful bid for re-election in 2021 had been targeted by foreign interference. But Young went on a tirade in a Jan. 30 news release, downplaying the Hogue Commission’s findings, and accusing Chiu of dividing the community and helping increase Asian hate and racism.
Chiu responded, calling Young “reckless, dishonest and unfit for public office.”
theBreaker.news asked Poilievre on Feb. 5 in Vancouver about Young’s statements.
“Conservatives have been victims of foreign interference,” Poilievre said. “It’s clear that Beijing wanted to keep Justin Trudeau in power, I have no doubt they’ll want Mark Carney to stay in power. Mark Carney has a background of shipping investments to China.”
At 5:09 a.m. on March 25, Young sent her supporters an email, suggesting she was the candidate.
“As you know, we have a plan, a campaign office selected and a structure in place to deliver this riding into the WIN column,” Young’s message said. “I very much understand your eagerness to get out there now and take this fight to the radical Carney and his disastrous party.
“Therefore, we are ready and look forward to winning this riding based upon our positive campaign message, which has united voters and resulted in riding membership sales outpacing our opponents!”
Around 13 hours later, the decision was made in favour of Segal, a lobbyist for the Building Owners and Managers Association of B.C. and former aide in the Stephen Harper Conservative government.
Segal will seek to unseat Liberal backbencher Parm Bains, who has cultivated close ties with groups in the Chinese community that are aligned with the Chinese consulate.
Chiu, who declined an interview, said in a message to supporters that he would volunteer to help Au and Segal win on April 28.
Chiu said he continues to be a “staunch supporter of Pierre Poilievre and his vision for a strong, national, majority Conservative government. His leadership represents the hope and determination we need to restore prosperity, security and unity in Canada. While I may not be the candidate for the riding of Richmond East-Steveston, my commitment to our shared values and goals remains the same.”
The Hogue Commission report cited an Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections investigation into a Steveston meeting between Bains and local Chinese Communist Party supporters before election day.
Au will challenge Liberal backbencher Wilson Miao in Richmond Centre-Marpole. Au was first elected to city council in 2011 and ran unsuccessfully for the B.C. NDP in the 2017 provincial election in Richmond-South Centre.
Au and Segal had been running for the nomination against David Wang, son of Lily Pang, an advisor to the pro-Beijing All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.
Wang did not respond to interview requests about his mother’s involvement in his bid for the nomination.
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