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38th Parliament Members
at dissolution on April 14, 2009

Photo of MLA

MLA: Raj Chouhan

Burnaby-Edmonds


Elected: 2005

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Raj Chouhan was elected as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds on May 17, 2005. Raj serves as the British Columbia Official Opposition Critic for Human Rights, Multiculturalism and Immigration.

Born in the Punjab, Raj immigrated to Canada in 1973. As a student in India, Raj was actively involved in student union activities. On his arrival in Canada, Raj was greatly impacted by the plight of other immigrant workers and the wide disparity between the rich and poor in a prosperous country. This lead to his ongoing passion for community and social justice work.

Raj is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers' Union, and he served as the Director of Bargaining at the Hospital Employees Union for 18 years. Raj has also served as a member of the Labour Relations Board of B.C. and the Arbitration Bureau of B.C.

A founding member of the B.C. Organization to Fight Racism, Raj has worked relentlessly in promoting human rights and racial equality. He has served as the Vice President of B.C. Human Rights Defenders since 2003. Raj has taught courses on Human Rights, the B.C. Labour Code and collective bargaining since 1987. He has traveled across Canada to give seminars and attend conferences that raise awareness of issues regarding racism, poverty, worker rights, and discrimination

Raj and his family live in the Burnaby-Edmonds community. He and his wife Inder have two children, Amrita and Anu.

In addition to this, Raj works hard to support local community organizations. As well, Raj has participated in and promoted many programs offered through community organizations including neighbourhood safety, refugee assistance, and heath and wellness programs.