The NOW asked all Burnaby candidates to submit a profile to help readers learn more about them.
The following is a profile of BC NDP candidate in Burnaby-New Westminster Raj Chouhan.
Name
Raj Chouhan
Current occupation
I’m the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds and I’ve served as the Speaker of the House in the B.C. Legislative Assembly.
Short biography
I moved to Canada in 1973 and worked in agriculture. I was shocked that in our prosperous country many were struggling to get by. I founded the Canadian Farmworkers’ Union and the BC Organization to Fight Racism to create change. Since 2005, I have served as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds.
Why are you running for provincial office?
People in Burnaby-New Westminster need strong public services and a government that will invest in them. Over the past several years we have made incredible progress by hiring more nurses and doctors, building new hospitals, delivering new and safer schools, creating affordable child care spaces, and building new attainable homes so that everyone can stay in the communities that they love. I am running for re-election because we cannot risk the Conservatives making cuts, taking us backwards, and undoing what we have accomplished together. John Rustad made deep cuts to healthcare and education before—and he would do it again if given the chance. The BC NDP team remains committed to taking action on the issues that matter to our community.
What are the top three issues facing Burnaby today, and what are your plans to address them?
We’re facing significant challenges, and we need a government committed to investing in essential services and infrastructure. Here’s our action plan:
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Healthcare: Our commitment is that everyone who wants a family doctor will have one by the end of 2025. In the past year, we hired 800 family doctors and 6,300 nurses. We are building a new medical school in Surrey and will continue training and hiring healthcare workers. We’re also expanding when pharmacists can prescribe medications, refer and offer testing for routine conditions. We are upgrading and building new hospitals, including in Burnaby and New Westminster, to ensure everyone gets the care they need.
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Housing: Housing construction is at record highs, and we must maintain this momentum. David Eby’s Housing Action Plan targets speculators and aims to create 300,000 middle-class homes in the next decade. John Rustad has a 20-year record of defending the status quo on housing. That’s good for real estate speculators, but not for the rest of us.
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Affordability: B.C. is a beautiful but expensive place to live, with many people living paycheque to paycheque. We've taken steps to lower daily costs, including the BC Hydro credit, eliminating MSP, and freezing ICBC rates. David Eby and the BC NDP are committed to a $1,000 annual tax cut for the average family, benefiting over 90% of people. This plan exempts an additional $10,000 of individual income from tax each year, allowing more money for groceries, kids' sports, and saving for the future.
What is your housing situation? Are you a homeowner, renter or something else (describe)? Do you own rental property/properties?
My wife and I are homeowners. We rented for many years after immigrating to Canada and we were incredibly proud to buy a home for our young family. I am committed to ensuring all people in our community are able to realize this same dream.
Contact information
- Website https://rajchouhan.bcndp.ca/
- Campaign office and phone number: 631 Carnarvon St., New Westminster
- Social media handles and hashtags:
- @rajchouhanbc - Facebook
- @rajchouhan - Twitter/X
- rajchouhanbc - Instagram
