Raymond Chan was first elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Richmond in 1993 and re-elected in 1997, 2004 and 2006. Mr. Chan currently serves the Liberal Critic for Foreign Affairs (Asia-Pacific).
Mr. Chan was born in Hong Kong in 1951 and immigrated to Canada with scarcely any resources to live on in 1969.
He worked a multitude of jobs to put himself though school at the University of British Columbia, where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Science (Engineering Physics) degree in 1977. He worked for 16 years as an engineering team leader at TRIUMF, Canada’s world-class subatomic physics research laboratory, located on the campus of the University of British Columbia.
He has two children, Justun and Christina.
A long-time human rights activist, Mr. Chan first became involved with public policy issues when he founded the Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement in 1989. As a private citizen, he led a team on democratic and human rights reforms to China in 1991, and later, as Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific), to Indonesia in 1998 and East Timor in 1999.
Mr. Chan served as Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) from 1993 to 2000. During that time, Mr. Chan worked to develop and implement strategies to promote Canada’s strong historic, social, and trade ties to the Asia-Pacific region. He frequently led Canadian trade delegations to Asia and represented Canada at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the United Nations, the South Pacific Forum, and the Asian Development Bank.
In 2004, Mr. Chan was appointed Minister of State (Multiculturalism). In this role he developed a comprehensive $55-million National Anti-Racism Stategy, brought about $55-million for national redress and reconcilation programs, worked to promote the implementation of Canadian models of diversity and interculturalism around the world, and strived tirelessly to promote equality, mutual acceptance, and social justice at home in Canada.
Serving actively in the Official Opposition since 2006, Chan has rekindled his passion for activism as one of Canada’s busiest and most service-oriented MPs. He has stood up for universal early learning and childcare, Canada’s universal public health care system and reduced wait times, and programs to confront the climate change crisis while holding the government to account on its mismanagement of Canada’s finances, our mission in Afghanistan, and public services such as Canadian passports.
He has served as Liberal Opposition Critic for Canadian Border Security, the Social Economy, and Seniors, and now serves as Critic for Foreign Affairs (Asia Pacific).
