A former Conservative candidate in the Metro Vancouver riding of New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville says he was removed from the party’s slate because of comments he made about the Chinese government in a podcast four years ago.
Lourence Singh, a real estate agent who had been campaigning in the riding, spoke out Sunday for the first time since his removal, saying he was dismissed after a nine-minute phone call with a party official on April 1.
“It was very shocking to learn the news that abruptly the party was informing me that they would be ending my candidacy,” Singh told CBC News. “I needed to gather myself…before I proceed with what I’m going to say.”
Singh says the call referred to remarks he made on a podcast called A Little Bit Serious with Sahib in February 2021.
About five minutes into the episode, the host criticizes the Chinese government for restricting free speech.
Singh responds by saying, “I feel in the Western culture they believe democracy is the only legitimate or practical form of government… but the system for [China] works.”
“They’ve built big cities, and people are now thriving based on their reforms and policies the government is implementing in China.”
Singh says his comments were intended to acknowledge that different forms of government can produce positive outcomes for citizens.
“The reason that the party dismissed me was that my remarks on this podcast differed from the party’s hard-line anti-Chinese government stance,” he said.
The Conservative Party of Canada did not respond to a CBC News request for comment about Singh’s removal on Sunday.
However, its official policy declaration says, “The Conservative Party will adopt an assertive foreign policy toward authoritarian dictatorships, including the Chinese Communist Party, focused on upholding Canada’s values respecting human rights and democratic principles.”
Singh says the decision to remove him was unjustified and came after weeks of campaigning in the riding.
“We knocked around 14,000 doors in the riding receiving great response. We already put the groundwork in,” he said.
He says he filed an appeal and submitted a petition with more than 450 signatures asking to be reinstated, but never heard back from the party. Singh says he was told on the initial call that the decision was final.
Singh says he is continuing his campaign as an independent.
“I’m already known by the electorate here. So it’s basically just continuing where I left off, only now as an independent rather than as a Conservative.”
The New Westminster–Burnaby–Maillardville covers the City of New Westminster, as well as areas in eastern Burnaby and southwest Coquitlam.
Its boundaries have been redrawn in response to population growth.
Indy Panchi has been named the new Conservative candidate for the riding, replacing Singh on Sunday.
On Sunday morning, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre visited the area, where he was joined by Panchi and other local candidates to announce the party’s drug recovery plan, which includes funding recovery treatment for 50,000 people facing addiction.
Panchi, who previously sought the nomination in Richmond East–Steveston, is a founder of Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen, a registered charity that provides free meals to those in need. His profile on the Conservative Party’s website lists him as a New Westminster resident.
CBC News requested an interview with Panchi has not yet received a response.
Singh said he considers Panchi a friend but questioned the timing of the replacement.
“We are so far along in the election process,” Singh said. “We put in tremendous groundwork, so it would be tough for someone else to come in, given the optics of the situation.”
The Conservative Party has dropped at least six candidates, including Singh.
Singh’s dismissal is one of five times the Conservative Party has dropped candidates. The Liberals have also dropped two candidates during the second week of the election campaign.
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Elections Canada requires all parties to finalize their candidates by 2 p.m. ET on Monday. After that deadline, candidates cannot be replaced.
Removing a candidate after Monday can also complicate things for voters, especially if they cast their ballot early.
Elections Canada can’t change ballots once the candidate list has been finalized. If someone casts a ballot for a candidate who is later removed from the party or drops out of the election, those votes can’t be changed.
