MLA for Juan de Fuca-Malahat since 2024 and Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility, running again for the BC NDP.
Dana Lajeunesse won Juan de Fuca-Malahat for the BC NDP in 2024, 141 votes ahead of the Conservative candidate. The government named him Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility in November 2024. In the legislature he introduced a private member's bill against reckless driving, which passed second reading 78 to 7 in February 2026, and he spoke for the 2026 budget, for changes to BC Timber Sales and for changes to the freedom of information law.
A researched record of Dana Lajeunesse's commitments, dated actions and public statements. Most come from the legislature record and government releases of 2026.
On dates without a confirmed appearance the public schedule is unknown; the candidate may still have activities that day. This static page changes only when its research is updated.
01 / Introduction
About Dana Lajeunesse
Dana Lajeunesse is the BC NDP candidate in Juan de Fuca-Malahat on the Elections BC list stamped October 1, 2026 11:00:06 PM. The same list names David Evans of the BC Green Party and Mike Hicks of the Conservative Party in the district. The list says nominations can be submitted until 1 p.m. on October 3, 2026, so more candidates may be added.
He won the district in 2024 with 9,308 votes, 38.79% of the valid votes, according to the Elections BC statement of votes. Marina Sapozhnikov of the Conservative Party received 9,167 votes (38.20%) and David Evans of the BC Green Party received 5,522 (23.01%).
The legislature's member record lists him as the member for Juan de Fuca-Malahat, with 2024 as his only election year. A government release of November 18, 2024 names him Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility, and the legislature's page about him gives the same title on 2026-10-02. Government releases on accessibility in 2026 quote him with that title.
Before the legislature he sat on the District of Sooke council. The council minutes of October 15, 2019 record his oath of office as a newly elected councillor, and the minutes of the inaugural meeting of November 7, 2022 record it again after the 2022 election. The Sooke News Mirror reported in April 2025 that he resigned the council seat when he was elected MLA. He told the paper in February 2025 that he won the 2019 by-election by three votes.
The biography on his legislature page says he grew up in Jordan River, worked in the forest industry for eight years, and then worked and taught in mechanical engineering technology for 24 years. A Sooke News Mirror profile of February 2025 says he taught at Camosun College from 1996 to 2020.
In the legislature in 2026 he moved second reading of his reckless driving bill, gave a budget speech, and spoke on the forestry bill (Bill 14) and the freedom of information bill (Bill 9). His members' statements covered accessibility, brain injury awareness, the Sooke Food Bank and other local groups.
His campaign page says he served on the Mayor's advisory panel for economic development and on the board of the Sooke Region Chamber. Those are statements by his campaign, and voche.me did not check them against another record.
Published positions and selected commitments, separated by election cycle. Status labels describe the evidence reviewed, not a numerical score or a complete audit of the platform. Council approval is different from delivery.
14 commitments shown · Checked Oct 2
2026 · Public safetyIn progress
A 30-day driving ban for reckless driving (Bill M226)
Lajeunesse introduced Bill M226, the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act (No. 2), 2025, on November 26, 2025, and calls it Xavier's law. He said it lets police ban a reckless driver from driving for 30 days on the spot and requires police to report every case of reckless driving to the superintendent of motor vehicles, who can add a longer ban. On February 23, 2026 the bill passed second reading 78 to 7 and was sent to the legislature's committee on private members' bills. In September 2026 he said again that the bill gives police another tool.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The bill and the transcripts give the length of the ban and the reporting rule. He gave no cost and no date for the bill to become law. The Sooke News Mirror reported in September 2026 that the bill was expected to pass third reading in the fall sitting. voche.me found no record of a third reading on 2026-10-02.
What still needs checking
Does Bill M226 come back to the legislature after the election, and does it pass third reading?
A government release of September 21, 2026 quotes Lajeunesse on a new urgent and primary care centre in Sooke, where a team of doctors, nurses and other health workers gives urgent access to primary care, as the release describes it. The release says building permits are approved, construction is expected to start in 2026, and the centre will be in a six-storey building with homes above it.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The release gives the cost and the start year. It gives no opening date. The release is the government's own account.
What still needs checking
Does construction start in 2026, and when does the centre open?
In his budget speech on February 24, 2026, Lajeunesse said Budget 2026 puts $2.8 billion over three years into health services, including $131 million for intensive mental health and addictions treatment, and that the capital plan includes 17 major hospitals and acute care facilities.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
These are budget measures of the government as a whole, which he defended. He gave no local project and no date for the hospitals.
What still needs checking
How many of the 17 hospital and acute care projects are under construction at the end of 2027?
In his budget speech on February 24, 2026, Lajeunesse said Budget 2026 adds $634 million for teachers and student services, adds $167 million to the classroom enhancement fund, and gives $3.9 billion for seismic upgrades and new schools. He said the capital plan includes 66 school upgrades or additions.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Budget measures of the government as a whole, which he defended. He named no school in his district and no completion date.
What still needs checking
How many of the 66 school upgrades or additions are finished by the end of 2028?
In his budget speech on February 24, 2026, Lajeunesse said Budget 2026 puts $139 million into reducing repeat and violent offending and into access to justice, including $16 million for a new program on repeat property crime such as vandalism and shoplifting.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Budget measures of the government as a whole, which he defended. He gave no target for fewer offences and no date.
What still needs checking
What does the new property crime program report after its first year?
In his budget speech on February 24, 2026, Lajeunesse said Budget 2026 puts $241 million over three years into skilled trades funding and improves the employer training grant to help double the number of apprenticeship seats by 2028.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
He gives the cost and the year. He gave no number of seats today, so the size of the increase is unknown. Budget measures of the government as a whole.
What still needs checking
How many apprenticeship seats exist in 2028 compared with 2026?
In his budget speech on February 24, 2026, Lajeunesse said the government will save $3.5 billion through spending control over the fiscal plan and will reduce the public sector by 15,000 full-time positions, mostly as people retire or leave.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Budget measures of the government as a whole. He gave no year for reaching the 15,000 figure.
What still needs checking
How many public sector positions are there at the end of 2027 compared with 2026?
In the Bill 14 debate on April 15, 2026, Lajeunesse said the bill lets BC Timber Sales, the provincial agency that auctions timber, offer more kinds of licences faster, including salvage of burned or damaged timber, thinning and wildfire risk reduction. He said the changes are expected to add up to 800,000 cubic metres of wood. The transcript of April 21, 2026 records that the bill passed third reading, and the vote index lists his yes vote.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The 800,000 cubic metres figure is his, given in debate; voche.me did not check it against ministry data. He gave no cost and no date. voche.me did not check whether the bill has become law.
What still needs checking
How much timber do the new BC Timber Sales licences deliver in the first year?
Changes to the freedom of information law (Bill 9)
On April 21, 2026, Lajeunesse spoke for Bill 9, which changes the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. He said it lets ministries share a person's information with the person's permission so people do not have to repeat it, adds a process to clarify unclear requests, and lets public bodies ask the Information and Privacy Commissioner to set aside abusive requests. The vote index lists his yes vote at third reading on May 28, 2026.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
He describes the changes. He gave no target for faster replies and no cost. voche.me did not open the transcript of the third reading vote.
What still needs checking
Do information requests get answered faster after the changes take effect?
In the debate on Motion M207 on May 4, 2026, a motion moved by Steve Morissette that asks the government to let small, independent movie theatres serve liquor during showings open to all ages, Lajeunesse spoke against an amendment and for the original motion. He said the change would help small, rural theatres stay open.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The motion asks the government to act. He gave no cost and no date. voche.me did not find the outcome of the motion.
What still needs checking
Does the government change the liquor rules for small theatres?
As Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility, Lajeunesse said in 2026 statements that the government is working under its AccessibleBC Plan to remove barriers in public places, online services and work, and that people with disabilities must guide the decisions.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
His statements name the plan. They give no measure, number or date of his own.
What still needs checking
Which AccessibleBC Plan commitments are met by the end of 2027?
The BC NDP platform page says the Speculation and Vacancy Tax helped turn 20,000 empty units in Metro Vancouver into homes, and that its short-term rental rules lowered rents. The page does not name Lajeunesse.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Party text. voche.me found no 2026 statement by Lajeunesse on housing policy.
What still needs checking
Does Lajeunesse state a housing measure during the campaign?
The BC NDP platform page says the party reduced ICBC car insurance rates by $500 and froze them for seven years, and that more than 560,000 renters get up to $400 from the renter's tax credit. The page does not name Lajeunesse.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Party text. voche.me found no 2026 statement by Lajeunesse on these measures.
What still needs checking
Does Lajeunesse speak on insurance rates or rent during the campaign?
The BC NDP platform page lists protecting air, land and water as one of its headings and names a $36 billion expansion of the provincial electricity system. The page does not name Lajeunesse.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Party text. voche.me found no 2026 statement by Lajeunesse on emissions or climate policy.
What still needs checking
Does Lajeunesse speak on climate or the environment during the campaign?
Recorded votes and actions where an official source or a news report names him. A government program is the government's; it is listed here only where the release quotes him.
Announced; construction expected to start in 2026
Building permits approved for the Sooke urgent and primary care centre
The Province announced that building permits are approved for the centre and that construction is expected to start in 2026. The government release quotes Lajeunesse as the local MLA.
Scope, limits and sources
The release is the government's own account. The Sooke News Mirror reported that the District of Sooke provides the land.
A training program run by CNIB in four cities, paid for by the Government of Canada under a labour market agreement with the Province. The government release quotes Lajeunesse as parliamentary secretary.
Scope, limits and sources
The money is federal, so this is listed as background on his role.
Voted yes on third reading of Bill 14, the Forests Statutes Amendment Act, 2026
The transcript records that the bill passed third reading with no member voting against it, and the vote index lists Lajeunesse voting yes. He spoke for the bill on April 15.
Scope, limits and sources
voche.me did not open a record showing the date the bill became law.
His reckless driving bill (Bill M226) passed second reading
Lajeunesse moved second reading of his private member's bill on December 1, 2025 and closed the debate on February 23, 2026. The bill passed 78 to 7, with his yes vote, and was sent to the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' Bills.
Scope, limits and sources
Second reading is the vote on the main idea of a bill. voche.me found no record of a third reading on 2026-10-02.
The minutes of the District of Sooke inaugural meeting record his oath of office and his appointment as Sooke's member on the Capital Regional District arts commission.
Read original statements and reporting, or open the publisher’s video. A summary of a speech is labelled separately from a full recording.
Statement
Remarks on the Sooke urgent and primary care centre
Lajeunesse said the centre will meet urgent care needs so that family doctors can focus on their own patients, and that housing in the building for health workers could help bring them to Sooke.
At a gathering on the first anniversary of the boy's death, Lajeunesse said the family's advocacy led him to introduce Xavier's law. The Sooke News Mirror reported that he also announced the closure of Poplar Road, a gravel logging road neighbours said reckless drivers used.
Remarks at the opening of the Little River crossing in Sooke
He spoke at the opening of a 600-metre trail and pedestrian bridge. The Sooke News Mirror reported that the Province gave $500,000 of the $2.1 million cost.
Speech on Bill 9, the freedom of information changes
He said the bill keeps privacy protections, keeps application fees unchanged and leaves the Information and Privacy Commissioner in charge of oversight.
He defended Budget 2026, listing its spending on schools, child care, health care, courts and skills training, its tax changes and its plan to cut 15,000 public sector positions.
Interview on the Sooke dispute over the provincial housing law (Bill 44)
He told the Sooke News Mirror he would work with Sooke council and the Ministry of Housing on the town's deadline to change its zoning under Bill 44, a provincial law requiring zoning for small multi-unit housing, as the report describes it.
Records are labelled by type, including official findings, civil proceedings and political disputes where applicable. Each entry identifies the response found in the sources and the latest status verified for this page.
Policy dispute
Debate on the drafting of Bill M226
In the second reading debate on February 23, 2026, Abbotsford West MLA Korky Neufeld said he supports the aim of the bill but that it is poorly drafted. He named the lack of an appeal for the 30-day ban and the definition of reckless driving. MLA Steve Kooner asked whether the bill repeats offences that already exist in the Motor Vehicle Act.
Candidate or party response
Closing the debate, Lajeunesse said the bill takes away no constitutional rights and does not punish people for accidents, mistakes or weather they cannot control, and that he looked forward to members' ideas at committee stage.
Verified status and limits
The bill passed second reading 78 to 7 and was sent to the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' Bills. voche.me found no committee report on 2026-10-02.
A dated reading list from independent publishers. The headings below are voche.me summaries; follow each link for the original article, context and any corrections.
Reporting
Sooke News Mirror (Black Press)
Sooke urgent care centre moves closer to construction
Reports the building permits, the $8 million estimate and his remarks.
Sources checked October 2, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.
voche.me found no event and no measure of his own on the campaign page; its events box returned no results. His Facebook and Instagram pages show only a profile line to a direct read, so nothing from them is used. The BC NDP candidates and releases pages, read on this date, do not name him. The legislature data lists no role for him in the 43rd Parliament; the Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility title comes from the November 18, 2024 government release and the legislature's page about him. voche.me did not find a later government record that confirms or ends the role. For 2025, only the two transcripts on Bill M226 were opened; his other 2025 statements are listed in the 2025 index and were not read. The transcripts of the third reading votes on Bill 9 and Bill 20 and of the budget vote were not opened; those votes come from the vote index. Figures he gave in his budget speech and in the Bill 14 debate are his statements of government figures and were not checked against the budget papers or ministry data. The district's official results for the 2019 Sooke by-election and the 2022 Sooke election were not found: CivicInfo BC answered HTTP 403 and the District of Sooke elections page shows no past results. The three-vote margin in 2019 is his own account. His council votes from 2019 to 2024 were not reviewed beyond two sets of minutes. His campaign's claims about the Mayor's advisory panel and the Sooke Region Chamber board, and the Camosun College teaching dates, were not checked with those bodies. Earlier reporting from the 2024 campaign (Times Colonist, Island Social Trends, CHEK News, Business in Vancouver) was not opened. The WebSearch tool had no searches left, and Google News refused further requests, so the name search relied on the Sooke News Mirror's own search and Google News results. voche.me found no 2026 statement by him on housing policy, cost of living, climate or transportation, and no 2026 all-candidates meeting for Juan de Fuca-Malahat. Campaign finances and endorsements were not reviewed. The questionnaire has not been sent.
Research status
What voche.me has checked
Evidence reviewed on 2026-10-02: the Elections BC candidate list and key dates page, the 2024 statement of votes, the legislature's member data, his entries in the 2026 and 2025 speech indexes and the 2026 vote index, 16 transcripts of the legislature, five government releases, two sets of District of Sooke council minutes, his campaign page, the BC NDP platform, candidates and releases pages, eight Sooke News Mirror reports and the Times Colonist list of 2026 candidates.
Most of his commitments on this page come from what he said in the legislature in 2026 and from a government release that quotes him. voche.me found no measure of his own on his campaign page on 2026-10-02. Sections with no entry record that voche.me found nothing on this date.
Named in the government release on the new cabinet and its parliamentary secretaries. The legislature's page about him gives the same title on 2026-10-02.
Sworn in on October 15, 2019 after a by-election and again on November 7, 2022. In 2022 council named him its member on the Capital Regional District arts commission. The Sooke News Mirror reported that he resigned when elected MLA.
Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
No questions and answers have been supplied.
Have your own question?
Ask Dana Lajeunesse directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
05 / About this page
Questions about this page
Facts voche.me can state about Dana Lajeunesse's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
Is this an official page for Dana Lajeunesse?
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Dana Lajeunesse's own campaign.
What party is Dana Lajeunesse running with?
Dana Lajeunesse is running for MLA with BC NDP.
Does Dana Lajeunesse currently hold public office?
Yes. Dana Lajeunesse currently serves as Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility; MLA for Juan de Fuca-Malahat.
How many sources does this Dana Lajeunesse profile cite?
This profile lists 5 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Why do some questions on Dana Lajeunesse's page show no answer?
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Dana Lajeunesse in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
When is the election Dana Lajeunesse is running in?
The 2026 British Columbia election, including the MLA race, is decided on October 24, 2026.
06 / Candidate contributions
Space for campaign updates
No campaign updates yet
Announcements, event details and messages can be added here, with their source and publication date. No campaign submission has been added.
