Liberal and Conservative Candidates Ousted Amid Election Controversies

In a stunning turn of events, both the Liberal and Conservative parties have lost candidates in the ongoing federal election after controversial remarks surfaced, forcing each party into damage control mode.

Windsor city councillor Mark McKenzie, who was running as the Conservative candidate for Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore, was removed from the party’s ticket after past comments surfaced in which he expressed support for public executions and even joked that former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should face the death penalty.

Meanwhile, Liberal incumbent Paul Chiang, seeking re-election in Markham-Unionville, has stepped aside after earlier remarks in which he suggested that his Conservative rival should be turned over to Chinese authorities in exchange for a bounty.

These twin controversies have intensified scrutiny on both parties as they scramble to replace candidates before the April 28 election.

Conservatives Drop McKenzie Over Death Penalty Remarks

McKenzie’s removal from the Conservative ticket came swiftly after CTV News obtained a 2022 podcast recording in which he advocated for public hangings and referenced Trudeau in a discussion about capital punishment.

“I’m also in favour of public hangings, so I think we need to bring that back,” McKenzie said on his now-defunct “Mark and Chris Podcast,” recorded at the height of the Freedom Convoy protests.

McKenzie also referenced convicted criminals like Paul Bernardo and Jeffrey Dahmer before adding Trudeau’s name to the conversation while laughing.

After the recording resurfaced, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wasted no time in distancing himself from McKenzie.

“We fired him, he’s gone,” Poilievre told reporters in St. John’s, N.L., on Tuesday, calling the remarks “unacceptable.”

McKenzie, who has served as a Windsor city councillor since 2022, had just launched his campaign for the federal seat when the controversy erupted. His removal leaves the Conservative Party scrambling to find a new candidate for Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore in time for the election.

Liberal Paul Chiang Steps Down After Bounty Remark

While the Conservatives dealt with McKenzie’s fallout, the Liberal Party was hit with its own scandal as Paul Chiang, the sitting MP for Markham-Unionville, resigned his candidacy after backlash over his January 2024comments to a Chinese-language outlet.

During an interview with Ming Pao News, Chiang suggested that Joe Tay, a Conservative candidate and critic of Hong Kong’s government, should be handed over to the Chinese Consulate in Toronto. This came after Hong Kong policeplaced a HK$1-million bounty on Tay for alleged violations of the National Security Law.

The comments were condemned across party lines, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre calling Liberal Leader Mark Carney “compromised” for failing to take immediate action, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh accusing Carney of “putting his party ahead of his country.”

Tay himself issued a scathing statement, declaring:

“Suggesting that people collect a bounty from the Chinese Communist Party to deliver a political opponent to the Chinese Consulate is disgusting and must never be condoned.”

Under mounting pressure, Chiang issued a public apology last week, calling his comments “deplorable” and “a complete lapse of judgment.”

“As a former police officer, I should have known better,” he admitted.

Despite initially defending Chiang, Carney ultimately announced Tuesday that the Liberals would move forward with a new candidate for Markham-Unionville.

High-Profile Scandals Shape the Election Narrative

With both major parties now forced to replace candidates over controversial remarks, the election narrative has shifted toward issues of judgment, accountability, and party leadership.

The Conservative and Liberal parties must now quickly nominate new candidates for Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore and Markham-Unionville as the April 7 deadline to declare candidacies approaches.

These twin controversies highlight the heightened scrutiny on candidates in an increasingly polarized political landscape—where every word, past or present, can shape an election’s outcome.