Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, running again for the BC NDP in Burnaby-New Westminster.
Raj Chouhan has been an MLA since 2005 and was first chosen as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 2020. As Speaker in 2026 he broke three tied votes in favour of the government, on the budget, the budget bill and a freedom of information bill.
Researched by voche.me · Not a campaign-authored page
A researched record of Raj Chouhan's 6 commitments, 10 dated actions and 14 public statements, with 5 news items. As Speaker he does not take part in debate, so most of his 2026 record is tied votes and rulings from the Chair, plus quotes in government releases and his own newspaper columns.
No campaign event for Raj Chouhan was confirmed by an organizer on 2026-10-03. The BC NDP events page did not show its event list in a direct read. The dates below are voting days.
Checked October 3, 2026 · All event times are Pacific time. Recheck the organizer before travelling.
At official British Columbia voting places. These dates apply to every voter and are not candidate appearances. Find your voting place
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.
Raj Chouhan is the BC NDP candidate in Burnaby-New Westminster on Elections BC's list for the general election of October 24, 2026. He won the district in 2024 with 10,647 votes, 59.99% of the valid vote, according to the Elections BC statement of votes.
The legislature record lists his election years as 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2020 and 2024. CBC News reported in December 2020 that the legislature chose him as Speaker, the first Indo-Canadian to hold the post, and that he had been deputy Speaker before. The legislature record shows him as Speaker again from February 18, 2025.
The Speaker runs the debates in the legislature, stays neutral and votes only to break a tie, according to the legislature's own page. In 2026 the record shows four tied votes where he cast the deciding vote. He voted for the government on the budget, the budget bill and the freedom of information bill, saying that a vote of confidence should not be decided by the Chair alone. He voted against an opposition change to a motion, following the usual practice.
The Georgia Straight reported on September 12, 2017 that he was deputy Speaker again, having held the post in the previous session. The legislature's Speaker page says that in May 2023 a Working Group on Parliamentary Culture was formed with him as Speaker and convener. In May 2025 the Canadian Press reported that his casting vote passed Bill 15 by 47 to 46, and also Bill 14.
Freshet News reported on May 24, 2026 that he travelled to New York City that month to receive an Ellis Island Medal of Honor. The Ellis Island Honors Society's list of 2026 honourees names Honorable Raj Chouhan, and Minister Lisa Beare told the House on May 19, 2026 that the award recognised his work as founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union. The 2026 Hansard index still prints his riding as Burnaby-Edmonds. Elections BC and the legislature's own member data give Burnaby-New Westminster.
CBC News reported that he is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers' Union and was director of bargaining for the Hospital Employees' Union for 18 years. His campaign page says he moved to Canada in 1973 and helped found the BC Organization to Fight Racism. Those are the campaign's own statements.
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.
6 commitments shown · Checked Oct 3
His campaign page says he believes people in Burnaby-New Westminster need a government that supports workers and businesses facing tariffs.
His campaign page says he believes people need a government that brings down the costs they face.
His campaign page says he believes people need a government that strengthens the health care British Columbians rely on.
A BC NDP caucus release of February 9, 2026 quotes Chouhan welcoming provincial funding, through BC Housing, to renovate New Westminster's 50-bed nightly shelter and run it 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The BC NDP platform page has a heading on keeping people safe and communities strong. The page does not name Chouhan.
The BC NDP platform page has a heading on protecting people from climate impacts. The page does not name Chouhan.
Recorded votes where the official record names him, and rulings from the Chair. A Speaker votes only to break a tie, and the record shows the reason he gave each time.
The budget motion was tied 46 to 46. As Speaker, Chouhan cast the deciding vote in favour, so the motion passed.
He said the motion was a matter of confidence and that confidence should not be decided by the Chair's vote alone. The vote follows the Speaker's practice and is no statement of his own view on the budget.
The third reading vote was tied. As Speaker, Chouhan voted in favour, so the bill passed.
He said Bill 2 was a matter of confidence, and gave the same reason as on the budget.
The third reading vote on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, 2026 was tied. As Speaker, Chouhan voted in favour, so the bill passed.
He said the government had declared Bill 9 a matter of confidence, and voted to uphold the rule that confidence is not decided by the Chair alone.
A change to Motion M205, moved by the member for Prince George-Mackenzie, was tied. As Speaker, Chouhan voted against it, so it failed.
He said he voted this way in keeping with the established practice.
The Province announced that New Westminster's 50-bed shelter will be renovated and run 24 hours a day with provincial funding.
The government release does not name Chouhan. The caucus release that quotes him is a party source.
The Canadian Press reported that Bill 15, on faster approval of infrastructure projects, passed third reading by 47 to 46 with the Speaker's casting vote, and that his vote also passed Bill 14, on renewable energy projects and transmission lines.
This vote is from 2025 and is outside the 2026 vote index. The report names him as the Speaker who cast the deciding vote. A Speaker's casting vote follows the rules of the House and states no view of his own.
The Province announced a renewed plan for the Burnaby Hospital project. It starts with $210 million for a larger emergency department and surgical unit, followed by expanded cancer care and a new acute-care tower.
The release quotes Chouhan as MLA for Burnaby-New Westminster welcoming the plan. The announcement is the government's. The release says Budget 2026 adjusted the project's timeline because of rising costs.
The Province marked the opening of a seismic replacement of Stride Avenue Community Elementary with 415 seats, and additions at Brentwood Park and Nelson Elementary schools.
The release quotes Chouhan on the opening. Freshet News published a photograph of him signing a welcome message for students with Premier David Eby. The project is the government's.
The Province committed nearly $65 million for a new downtown elementary school, with construction expected to start in fall 2026, according to the release.
The release quotes Chouhan as a local MLA welcoming the school. The project is the government's.
BC Housing is providing more than $14 million through the Community Housing Fund, plus yearly operating funding, for 89 rental homes run by Aunt Leah's Foundation, expected to be complete by summer 2027.
The release quotes Chouhan on the Building BC program. The project is the government's.
Read original statements and reporting, or open the publisher’s video. A summary of a speech is labelled separately from a full recording.
As Speaker, Chouhan ruled that a private member's bill using the notwithstanding clause of the Charter could only come from the government, and removed it from the list of business before the House.
As Speaker, Chouhan gave a member a last warning, and asked the member for Skeena to leave the chamber after she argued with the Chair.
As Speaker, Chouhan thanked the departing Sergeant-at-Arms, Ray Robitaille, for his work since October 2021.
As Speaker, Chouhan told members of both sides after question period that the behaviour shown that day was not acceptable and was an embarrassment, because the public watches the House every day.
After a minister raised a point of order, and the member for Kamloops-North Thompson said he had taken a picture, the Speaker said taking pictures in the chamber is not permitted and that any picture or recording must be deleted.
The member for Vancouver-Quilchena said the Vancouver school board cancelled her booking for a public town hall. The Speaker ruled that the freedom from obstruction does not extend to these circumstances, citing a procedural authority that separates constituency work from parliamentary work, so no prima facie breach of privilege had occurred.
The member for Skeena said the Premier misled the House in question period on May 19. The Speaker ruled that the high threshold of evidence was not met, called the matter a dispute over the characterization of words, and closed it.
In a Freshet News column he wrote that he has served 21 years, that he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and that the provincial government continues to deliver more homes, stronger protections for renters and record investments in health care. These are his own statements.
In a Freshet News column he wrote about founding the Canadian Farmworkers' Union and said that in his roles he continues to support workers' rights and uphold human rights.
In a government release he said expanding emergency and surgical services means people will get faster care in modern, purpose-built spaces.
In a government release he said it was great to see the new school open and that students can look forward to a more modern learning environment.
In a government release he said, as a local MLA, that he had seen how much New Westminster has grown and that more children will have space to learn close to home.
In a government release he said the Building BC program invests in purpose-built homes so that youth and young mothers at risk of homelessness have housing.
In a government release he said stronger literacy supports build students' confidence and well-being, and that early help sets children up for success.
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.
No reviewed entries have been added to this section yet. This is a research gap, not a finding about the candidate.
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.
Reports that the legislature chose Chouhan as Speaker, the first Indo-Canadian to hold the post, and describes his labour background.
Reports that he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in New York City in May 2026 and that four Burnaby firefighters later presented him with a golden axe for his public service. The Ellis Island Honors Society's 2026 list names Honorable Raj Chouhan.
Reports the school opening with Premier Eby and carries a photograph of Chouhan signing a welcome message for students. The quotes in the article come from the Premier.
Reports that his casting vote passed Bill 15 by 47 to 46 and Bill 14, and that critics said the legislation gives cabinet too much power over projects and weakens environmental standards and consultation with First Nations.
Reports that he was deputy Speaker of the legislature again, having held the post in the previous session, and would preside over debates if the Speaker was absent.
Sources checked October 3, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.
Elections BC
Elections BC
Elections BC
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · February 26, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · March 11, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · April 1, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · April 27, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · May 19, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · May 26, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · May 28, 2026
Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs · February 9, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · February 24, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · April 15, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · April 29, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · May 25, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · March 5, 2026
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Hansard · April 28, 2026
Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Infrastructure · September 21, 2026
Government of British Columbia, Office of the Premier · September 1, 2026
Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Infrastructure · November 13, 2025
Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs · September 9, 2025
Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Education and Child Care · September 12, 2025
Ellis Island Honors Society
BC NDP
BC NDP caucus · February 9, 2026
BC NDP caucus
BC NDP · June 23, 2024
BC NDP
BC NDP
Freshet News · June 7, 2026
Freshet News · September 7, 2026
CBC News · Karin Larsen · December 7, 2020
Freshet News (Janis Cleugh) · May 24, 2026
Freshet News (Theresa McManus) · September 1, 2026
Winnipeg Free Press (The Canadian Press, Wolfgang Depner) · May 28, 2025
The Georgia Straight (Charlie Smith) · September 12, 2017
As of 2026-10-03: his campaign page lists no events and no measures of his own beyond short statements. The BC NDP events page did not show its event list in a direct read, so no campaign event is confirmed. His Facebook and Instagram pages returned only page shells with no readable posts, and his X page showed a short biography and a few posts, so nothing from social media is used beyond the link. The caucus website was offline on 2026-09-30 while the legislature was dissolved, and its pages were read from Internet Archive copies of May 2026; that was not repeated. Caucus releases from 2025 that name him (arts grants, emergency response, crime prevention and disaster funding) were not opened and are not used. The Speaker's rulings are listed in full by the subject index under 'Chair or Speaker'. Seven were read in transcripts (Bill M235, the question period removal, the Sergeant-at-Arms statement, the Stamer photographs, the privilege ruling, the point of order ruling and the remark of February 24); the others were not read. The end of his time as deputy Speaker and his time as Official Opposition spokesperson were not checked against official records. No news report about his 2026 election campaign was found in the Google News feed or Bing on 2026-10-03, but the WebSearch tool was at its limit, and headlines from CP24 (February 2026) and Indo-Canadian Voice (July 21, 2026) were not opened. Whether the opposition criticised his 2025 or 2026 casting votes was not checked in news reporting, so the accountability section is empty. No all-candidates meeting for Burnaby-New Westminster was found. Campaign finances and endorsements were not reviewed. The questionnaire has not been sent.
Second pass on 2026-10-03, after a first pass on 2026-09-30. Re-read on 2026-10-03: the Elections BC candidate list (affiliation BC NDP and district Burnaby-New Westminster, unchanged), his campaign page and its team, events and news pages, the BC NDP releases page (12 releases dated September 29 to October 3, 2026, none naming him), the legislature's 2026 speech index, vote index and subject index (no new entries), the legislature's Speaker page, and his X profile. Newly read: the transcripts of February 24, April 15, April 29 and May 25, 2026, five government releases that quote him, five Freshet News pages, a Canadian Press report of May 28, 2025, a Georgia Straight report of September 12, 2017, and the Ellis Island Honors Society's list of 2026 honourees.
The subject index lists casting votes on Bill 5 (March 5, 2026) and Bill 16 (April 28, 2026) under 'Chair'. The transcripts show the committee chairs Stephanie Higginson and Debra Toporowski cast them, so neither is credited to him. His four 2026 votes in the House, all as Speaker, are unchanged. No earlier entry was changed or removed.
The WebSearch tool had reached its usage limit on 2026-10-03, so the name search (step 6) used a Google News feed, a Bing page and direct reads of source sites. Links from a news feed could not always be opened, so a CP24 report of February 2026 and an Indo-Canadian Voice report of July 21, 2026 are not used. As Speaker he gave no debate speeches in 2026, so his statements on issues come from his campaign page, his own newspaper columns and quotes in government releases. Sections with no entry record that voche.me found nothing on this date.
Freshet News reported that he received the medal in New York City in May 2026, for his work as founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and as a founder of the B.C. Organization to Fight Racism. The awarding society's 2026 list names Honorable Raj Chouhan.
Freshet News, May 24, 2026Chosen as Speaker in December 2020, according to CBC News. The legislature record shows him as Speaker again from February 18, 2025.
Legislative Assembly of British ColumbiaThe Georgia Straight reported on September 12, 2017 that he was deputy Speaker again after holding the post in the previous session. CBC News reported in 2020 that he had been deputy Speaker before becoming Speaker.
The Georgia Straight, September 12, 2017The legislature's Speaker page says the group was formed in May 2023 with him as Speaker and convener, with MLAs Mable Elmore, Elenore Sturko and Sonia Furstenau. It reviews the Assembly's programs, procedures and practices.
Legislative Assembly of British ColumbiaElected in 2024 with 10,647 votes, 59.99% of the valid vote.
Elections BC statement of votes, 2024CBC News reported in 2020 that he was first elected in 2005 and served as deputy Speaker before becoming Speaker.
CBC News, December 7, 2020CBC News reported that he is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers' Union and was director of bargaining for the Hospital Employees' Union for 18 years.
CBC News, December 7, 2020Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
No response has been submitted.
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Ask Raj Chouhan directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
Facts voche.me can state about Raj Chouhan's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Raj Chouhan's own campaign.
Raj Chouhan is running for MLA with BC NDP.
Yes. Raj Chouhan currently serves as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly; MLA for Burnaby-New Westminster.
This profile lists 6 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Raj Chouhan 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.
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