Vancouver Ex-Mayor Alleges BC Minister Under Federal Investigation for China Ties

Based on coverage from Global News, The Globe and Mail, The Epoch Times, Castanet, OrilliaMatters, and National Newswatch.

Former Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart has ignited a political firestorm in B.C. after alleging a sitting provincial cabinet minister is under RCMP investigation for collaborating with the Chinese government. Premier David Eby says the claim is flat-out false and that neither the RCMP nor CSIS has ever briefed him about concerns involving anyone in his NDP cabinet or caucus.

Stewart made the allegation Monday on CKNW’s Jas Johal show, saying he was interviewed for about four hours by lawyers working for the federal government about a B.C. cabinet minister. He did not name the minister, and he later declined to add details, saying he signed a non-disclosure agreement.

Kennedy Stewart’s claims about B.C. cabinet

On air, Stewart said the matter had “come to [his] attention,” that he reported it to senior B.C. NDP officials, and that he believes the premier and “many members of cabinet” are aware. He described it as an “ongoing RCMP investigation” and argued “nothing’s being done” about it.

Stewart, now an associate professor at Simon Fraser University’s School of Public Policy, framed the issue as a sovereignty and democracy problem, calling foreign interference a major threat in Vancouver and across Canada.

Premier David Eby rejects China allegations

Eby responded Tuesday in the B.C. legislature, calling the allegations false. He said he has had multiple briefings with CSIS and the RCMP and regularly asks whether there’s any information that should affect government decisions around access to sensitive information or contracts. He said he has never been told of concerns about any elected member of his government.

Eby also said that if there were concerns about a cabinet member, he would remove them from cabinet because of the sensitive information ministers can access.

B.C.’s House leader Mike Farnworth, who is also the Minister of Transportation and Transit, was even more blunt with reporters, calling Stewart’s allegation “ridiculous” and saying that if any caucus or cabinet member were involved, they would not be in cabinet or caucus.

What the RCMP and CSIS will not say

The B.C. RCMP’s Staff Sgt. Kris Clark said Mounties don’t confirm investigations or identify anyone who may be under investigation unless charges are laid. That’s standard practice, but it also leaves the public stuck in a familiar grey zone: a serious allegation, no named target, and no official confirmation.

Stewart’s account of being interviewed differs slightly across reports. On CKNW he said he was interviewed by federal government lawyers; another report says he was interviewed by CSIS and “officials from Ottawa.” Either way, Stewart’s central point is the same: he says federal authorities questioned him, and he says he escalated the information to the B.C. government.

Vancouver City Hall meeting and Shen Yun fallout

The timing matters. Stewart’s comments landed as Global News reported that Chinese consular officials met with a City of Vancouver employee last month and urged her to cancel an arts event highlighting Chinese Communist Party repression. Stewart told Global that mayor and council should take the issue seriously.

Separate reporting around the Shen Yun performances in Vancouver adds more context. Organizers have described past interference attempts, including pressure tactics and threats. In the most recent Vancouver case, bomb threats were deemed not credible and the show proceeded; Vancouver police cybercrime investigators determined a phone number associated with the threatening email was based in China, according to the reporting.

The City of Vancouver said protocols were followed for the consulate meeting, describing it as “high-level” information sharing that did not involve policy decisions or commitments.

Why this hits a nerve in Canada

Stewart lost the 2022 Vancouver mayoral race to Ken Sim by nearly 37,000 votes, and The Globe and Mail previously reported on a CSIS assessment that China’s diplomatic mission in Vancouver meddled in that campaign. A separate public inquiry into foreign interference has also accused China of meddling in Canadian elections, harassing diaspora communities, and stealing technology.

For Canadians watching this, the immediate reality is uncertainty. Stewart is making a very specific allegation while withholding the name and details. Eby is issuing an equally direct denial, saying the security agencies have never raised a red flag about his team. Unless charges are laid or more information is made public, the story is likely to stay stuck between those two positions, with B.C. politics taking the heat in the meantime.

Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3 | Source 4 | Source 5 | Source 6