Okay. Thank you.

Chair and honourable members, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.

My name is Joe Tay. I'm a Canadian citizen, a former singer-actor in Hong Kong and the federal Conservative Party candidate for Don Valley North in the last election. I'm here to give first-hand evidence of foreign election interference.

Presently, there are 300,000 Canadians who, like myself, have chosen to build their careers between Canada and Hong Kong. Transnational repression is real, highly sophisticated, coordinated and totally destructive; it aims to silence voices, end careers and erase people from their public lives.

For over 30 years in media, I was blessed to be a household name worldwide in my community. In 2019, I openly supported the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, and my career was abruptly terminated. I was told to stop speaking out or I would never work again. Days before the national security law of Hong Kong came into effect, I returned to Canada, yet the repression followed me and my family here.

During my 2024 campaign, I faced non-stop foreign election interference.

First, there was coordinated disinformation during the election. Canada's security and intelligence threats to elections task force identified a coordinated foreign operation targeting Don Valley North across Chinese social media platforms and Facebook. It aimed to curb any positive coverage and amplified made-up negative news about me, painting me as a fugitive to voters.

Second, there were summons by the Chinese consulate. During my nomination, a venue owner hosted a birthday party I was invited to—among many guests. After the party, the owner was summoned twice by the Chinese consulate for allowing me on the premises. Complaints were made to the consulate, sadly, by two or three local city councillors whom the owner was too afraid to name.

Third, a bounty on me was encouraged by a sitting MP. The most dangerous incident of all was when Mr. Paul Chiang, a then Liberal MP and someone sworn to protect Canadians, openly ignored Canada's clear position and condemnation statement by Global Affairs Canada, which was issued within 24 hours of my bounty.

Allow me to cite part of the statement: “This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct transnational repression abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated.”

Mr. Paul Chiang knowingly went on to organize a selective press conference, attended mainly by Chinese consulate-friendly reporters, suggesting that anyone who handed me to a Chinese consulate could claim the $1-million bounty. He expected the press to make it more public. This put me and my family in harm's way, and Paul made himself an instrument of CCP interference in the election. To me, what's worse is that the leader of the party then, now our Prime Minister, defended him and made excuses for Paul's CCP position statement.

Fourth, there was harassment of my extended family. Hong Kong authorities interrogated and pressured my extended family in Hong Kong, attempting to make me a burden to my own relatives.

Fifth, there was administrative tools manipulation. HSBC and the government tax agency of Hong Kong were used as extended arms and tools to freeze our accounts. False accusations of made-up tax evasion claims were an attempt to administratively criminalize me in the U.S. and Canada. My wife, Angie, an insurance agent, is required to renew her licence every two years. Any financial criminal offence worldwide will lead to a licence suspension.

Sixth, there was surveillance and intimidation during the campaign. Volunteers and I were followed and photographed, and our home was monitored by strange vehicles. These things were all reported instantly to the local police and the RCMP.

Seventh, there were violent threats to one of our supporters. A female supporter who simply met me for a chat over coffee received a parcel containing a dress splattered with red paint—simulating blood—and stabbed through the chest with a knife. It was a graphic warning not to support me.

Eighth, seniors were targeted. People were sent door to door to seniors' apartments within our riding, spreading the same social media message within the Chinese community: that if they voted for Joe Tay, the Chinese consulate would know, and they would lose their visa to visit China. Targeting our senior voters through direct intimidation, surveillance, travel restrictions and fear of retaliation suppressed their democratic rights. We know for a fact that many were too afraid to vote.

Finally, the RCMP made an unscheduled visit to my house to inform me that they had intercepted a credible source of a threat to harm me during the election. This resulted in all my campaign activities being suspended, depending on day-to-day safety warnings, until the end of the election. My campaign became the quietest.

Chair and honourable members, this CCP-initiated foreign interference is evidence of intent to harm. These are well-organized, evil schemes that target Canadians and our electoral institution, turning parliamentarians and councillors into bad actors—or at least being used to erode trust in our institutions.

On behalf of my family and myself, I am here with the hope that by speaking up, every Canadian and our democracy, for which so many have laid down their lives, will be protected.

Thank you.

Meeting #16