Former Conservative B.C. candidate says party removed him over past podcast comments

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.