Canada MP quits election race over Chinese bounty comments

Canadian member of parliament Paul Chiang has quit as a Liberal Party candidate over comments he made suggesting a political rival should be turned over to the Chinese consulate in return for a bounty.

Tay, who is running for the Conservatives in the 28 April federal election, is one of a number of overseas activists who have been targeted by Hong Kong police for allegedly breaking the city's national security law.

Chiang said he is withdrawing from the race to avoid "distractions in this critical moment".

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who had previously defended Chiang, said on Tuesday he had accepted his candidate's resignation.

"As I said yesterday, his comments were deeply troubling and regrettable," said Carney as he campaigned in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Liberal leader had said the day before that Chiang would stay on as the party's candidate in a Toronto-area riding given that he had apologised for the remarks, which were made earlier this year at a Chinese-language media event.

Tay, who was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to Canada as an adult, is co-founder of Canada-based nonprofit group HongKonger Station, which promotes democracy and free speech.

Last December, Hong Kong police offered a HK$1m (C$184,000; $128,000) bounty for information leading to Tay's arrest, accusing him of incitement to secession and collusion with a foreign country.

The Conservative candidate, who is also running for a Toronto area seat, rejected Chiang's apology and called for his firing.

"His threatening public comments were intended to intimidate me, and they must not be tolerated," Tay said in a statement.

• Hong Kong national security law: What is it and is it worrying?

Chiang announced he was stepping down in a social media post shortly after midnight, saying he had served with the "fullest commitment to keeping people safe and protecting our country's values".

His resignation came after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told Canadian media the force is "looking into the matter".

"Foreign actor interference, including instances of transnational repression, continues to be a pervasive threat in Canada," a spokesperson told Globe and Mail.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on Tuesday criticised Carney for not removing Chiang when the comments came to light late last week.

"Mr Carney will never put this country first, he will always put himself first," he said.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives removed one of their candidates over comments made on a 2022 podcast, where he appeared to joke about former prime minister Justin Trudeau deserving the death penalty.

Poilievre told CTV News, which first reported on the remarks, that they were "unacceptable".