[1][4] In the 2011 federal election, Dechert once again defeated Alghabra to return to the House of Commons,[10][11] and was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird.

[1] On September 9, 2011, it was revealed that Dechert had been engaging in "flirtatious e-mails" with a correspondent, Shi Rong, working for the People's Republic of China news agency, Xinhua.

[12] Critics, including Charles Burton, a former Canadian diplomat to Beijing, raised concerns as to whether Shi Rong was a Chinese spy trying to gain access to sensitive government information.

[1] Dechert contested the newly established riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills in the 2015 federal election, losing to Liberal candidate Iqra Khalid.

[15][16] He then sought to represent the Ontario PCs in the riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills in the 2018 provincial election, but withdrew from the nomination process in January 2017, citing concerns over the sale of new party memberships.