Raj Chouhan
Raj Chouhan is an Indian-born Canadian politician and trade unionist who has served as the 40th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia since 2020. A member of the New Democratic Party, he was first elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 2005 representing the electoral district of Burnaby-Edmonds. In 2024, he was re-elected in the newly formed district of Burnaby-New Westminster. He previously served as the Assistant Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2013 to 2017 and as the Deputy Speaker from 2017 to 2020. While in opposition he served as the critic for Mental Health; Human Rights, Immigration and Multiculturism and Labour. He was re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020.
Born in the state of Punjab in India, Chouhan was the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and served as a director of the Hospital Employees' Union. He 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, Chouhan has worked to promote human rights and racial equality. He has served as the Vice President of B.C. Human Rights Defenders since 2003, and has taught courses on Human Rights, the B.C. Labour Code and collective bargaining since 1987.