Independent MP Kevin Vuong on ups and downs of being without a party

·48 min·4 clips

Kevin Vuong explains how a withdrawn sexual assault allegation resurfaced four days before the election, getting him kicked out of the Liberal Party.

Andrew Lawton interviews Independent MP Kevin Vuong about his unique political journey. Vuong explains he was expelled from the Liberal Party three days before the 2021 election after a false sexual assault allegation from 2019 resurfaced, though the charge had been withdrawn. He describes the personal betrayal by friends and the emotional toll. Vuong details the night of the allegation, where he was charged without police ever speaking to him. He speculates the allegation might be linked to foreign interference due to his anti-Chinese Communist Party stance as a Chinese-Canadian diaspora member. As an independent, Vuong criticizes Liberal policies like the carbon tax, noting Justin Trudeau mocked him for questioning it despite rising inflation. He discusses speaking out on foreign interference and receiving a bomb threat. Vuong highlights challenges like systemic barriers for independents, including fundraising issues. He mentions private Liberal misgivings on the carbon tax and safe supply, criticizing Minister Ya'ara Saks. Vuong expresses openness to joining the Conservative Party if invited, valuing teamwork, but would run again as an independent otherwise. He reflects on the whipped voting system in Parliament and his efforts to help constituents, like shaming the government into funding refugee shelters.

As heard by us

Kevin Vuong explains what independence costs, and what it lets him say, in Canadian politics.

Kevin Vuong's account of life as an independent MP treats party discipline as a question of access, risk, and how much room a politician has to speak.

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Why you'd press play

You want Kevin Vuong's view from the outside: a Liberal ballot line, a campaign break with the party, and life as an independent MP.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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