Burnaby-New Westminster

Raj Chouhan was first elected as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds (now Burnaby-New Westminster) in 2005. 

Raj served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in the 42nd Parliament, and re-elected as Speaker for the current 43rd Parliament. 

Previously, Raj served as Official Opposition Spokesperson for labour, human rights, multiculturalism and immigration. 

Raj immigrated to Canada in 1973. As a student in India, Raj was actively involved in student union activities. Raj is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers’ Union and served as the director of bargaining for the Hospital Employees Union for 18 years. Raj also served as a member of the Labour Relations Board of B.C. and the Arbitration Bureau of B.C. 

Raj is a founding member of the B.C. Organization to Fight Racism and has served as the vice-president of the B.C. Human Rights Defenders. He has taught courses on human rights, the B.C. Labour Code and collective bargaining since 1987. 

Raj continues to support organizations in his community and has helped to promote diverse programs.