NDP in Edmonds chooses Chouhan

By Dan Hilborn
Published Nov. 24, 2004


A labour organizer from the Indo-Canadian community will carry the NDP banner in the Burnaby-Edmonds riding for the May 17, 2005 provincial election.

Raj Chouhan, the director of bargaining for the Hospital Employees' Union and a founder of the Canadian Farmworkers' Union, won the nomination in a close-fought race against the former chair of the Simon Fraser Health Board, Paul McDonell.

While exact voting results were not released, the Burnaby NOW has learned that Chouhan won by a five-vote margin out of a total of 428 votes cast.

Chouhan said he will begin his campaign immediately by knocking on doors to remind voters of the B.C. Liberal government's track record.

"The issues are clear already," Chouhan said. "People have seen that the Liberal policies have not worked for ordinary people, and people are fed up with all the cutbacks. People are looking for somebody who can provide a sensible, balanced alternative to Mr. Campbell's government."

Chouhan also heaped criticism on the perceived lack of action by the riding's current MLA, Liberal Patty Sahota.

"The incumbent MLA was nowhere to be seen in the past three and a half years," he said. "We need someone who will listen to people before they make up their minds. We need somebody to defend people in the legislature, not somebody who just follows the party line without showing any concern for their constituents."

Chouhan pointed to the closing of Saint Mary's Hospital in New Westminster, the privatization of health-care services at long-term care facilities and the increase in class sizes across the province as examples of Liberal policies that have hurt B.C.

Meanwhile, McDonell said he was surprised by the fact that he did not win the nomination, however, he will work to help Chouhan get elected.