Representative Han Dong Contact information

Han Peng Dong MP, born around 1977, is a Canadian politician known for his role as the member of parliament (MP) representing Don Valley North. Dong began his political career as a member of the Liberal Party and was elected to the House of Commons in 2019. However, he currently serves as an independent after stepping down from the Liberal caucus in March 2023 amidst allegations of involvement in Chinese government interference.

Dong was born in Shanghai and moved to Toronto with his family at the age of 13, settling in the Parkdale neighborhood. He resides in Toronto with his wife Sophie and their two children. Before entering politics, Dong worked as a marketing director for Chianti Foods and later joined the non-profit organization Canada Shanghai Business Association.

In the political arena, Dong spent nine years at Queen’s Park, serving as the MPP liaison for Ontario Liberal cabinet minister Gerry Phillips. He also held the position of senior adviser of community outreach under Citizenship and Immigration Minister Michael Coteau.

Dong’s political journey began in 2014 when he ran as the Ontario Liberal candidate in the riding of Trinity—Spadina for the provincial election. He secured victory, defeating the New Democrat incumbent. During his tenure as a member of provincial parliament (MPP), Dong held various roles, including Parliamentary Assistant to several ministers and Vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. He introduced private member’s bills on topics such as licensing and regulating the home inspection industry and implementing time limits for elevator repairs in residential buildings.

In the 2018 provincial election, Dong was defeated by the New Democratic candidate in the redistributed riding of Spadina—Fort York. However, he remained active in the political arena and registered as a candidate in the 2018 Toronto municipal election to represent Ward 20 on Toronto City Council. Due to a reduction in the number of wards, Dong did not refile his candidacy and was considered to have withdrawn.

In 2019, Dong announced his candidacy for the federal Liberal nomination in Don Valley North after the retirement of the incumbent MP. He successfully won the election and became a Member of Parliament. He was re-elected in the September 2021 federal election.

Currently, Dong serves as the co-chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association and is a member of several standing committees in Parliament. These include the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills, and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, as well as the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics.

In February 2023, allegations of Dong’s involvement in Chinese government interference emerged, with claims that he advised the Chinese consul general in Toronto against the release of detained individuals and allegedly interfered in the 2019 federal election. Dong denied these allegations and expressed his willingness to cooperate with any investigations to clear his name. The Prime Minister and Liberal party officials rejected the claims, emphasizing Dong’s loyalty to Canada.

In March 2023, Dong announced his departure from the Liberal caucus and his decision to sit as an independent MP in order to focus on clearing his name without disrupting government business. He voted in favor of a motion for a public inquiry into alleged Chinese interference, and he later filed a defamation lawsuit against Global News and its reporters. Special Rapporteur David Johnston’s review found the allegations regarding Dong’s involvement in extending the detention of individuals to be false, leading Dong to express his desire to rejoin the Liberal Party caucus.