Rachna Singh
British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Surrey-Green Timbers | |
|---|---|
| Assumed office May 9, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Sue Hammell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1972 (age 51–52) Delhi, India[1] |
| Political party | New Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Gurpreet Singh |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Surrey, British Columbia |
| Alma mater | Panjab University (MA, Clinical Psychology) |
Rachna Singh (born 1972) is a Canadian politician and trade unionist who has represented the electoral district of Surrey-Green Timbers in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia since 2017. A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) caucus,[2] she has served as Minister of Education and Child Care of British Columbia since December 2022.
Biography
Singh was born in Delhi, and grew up in Chandigarh.[1][3] She attended Panjab University, from which she received a master's degree in psychology.[4] She moved to Canada in 2001, settling in Surrey, British Columbia.[3][4] Prior to her election to the legislature, Singh worked as a drug and alcohol counsellor. She became active in her labour union local, and eventually became a National Representative (staff) for the Canadian Union of Public Employees[3] representing workers through advocacy in grievance handling, labour arbitrations, organizing, community and political activism and helping advise local unions on matters of internal administration.
With incumbent
After winning re-election in 2020,[6] Singh was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives by Premier John Horgan.[7] On December 7, 2022 she was named Minister of Education and Child Care by Premier David Eby.[8][9]
Singh is married to Gurpreet Singh, a journalist for the Georgia Straight and publisher of the Radical Desi magazine; they have two children together.[3] Both descend from families with a history of activism for various social and economic causes in their native India. She is a secular Sikh.[10]
Electoral history
| 2020 British Columbia general election: Surrey-Green Timbers | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| New Democratic | Rachna Singh | 8,171 | 59.59 | +1.40 | $31,108.56 | |||
Liberal |
Dilraj Atwal | 5,540 | 40.41 | +7.46 | $34,751.00 | |||
| Total valid votes | 13,711 | 100.00 | – | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 224 | 1.61 | +0.56 | |||||
| Turnout | 13,935 | 47.20 | –7.41 | |||||
| Registered voters | 29,526 | |||||||
| Source: Elections BC[11][12] | ||||||||
| 2017 British Columbia general election: Surrey-Green Timbers | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| New Democratic | Rachna Singh | 8,945 | 58.29 | +0.23 | $58,322 | |||
Liberal |
Brenda Locke | 5,056 | 32.95 | −1.57 | $20,975 | |||
| Green | Saira Aujla | 1,112 | 7.25 | +3.2 | $7,739 | |||
| No affiliation | Vikram Bajwa | 163 | 1.06 | – | $7,980 | |||
| Your Political Party | Kanwaljit Singh Moti | 69 | 0.44 | – | $3,612 | |||
| Total valid votes | 15,345 | 100.00 | – | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 163 | 1.05 | −0.14 | |||||
| Turnout | 15,508 | 54.61 | +2.29 | |||||
| Registered voters | 28,400 | |||||||
| Source: Elections BC[13][14] | ||||||||
References
- ^ a b "Rachna Singh - South Asian Canadian Heritage". University of the Fraser Valley. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
- ^ The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Smith, Charlie (January 29, 2017). "B.C. NDP nominates Rachna Singh in Surrey–Green Timbers". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ The Tribune. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ Kupchuk, Rick (January 18, 2017). "Community activist seeks NDP nomination". Peace Arch News. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ Zytaruk, Tom (October 24, 2020). "Surrey-Green Timbers: NDP's Rachna Singh re-elected, defeating Liberal Dilraj Atwal". Surrey Now-Leader. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
- ^ Zytaruk, Tom (November 26, 2020). "Surrey gets two cabinet ministers, a parliamentary secretary and government whip". Surrey Now-Leader. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
- ^ "B.C. Premier David Eby unveils new cabinet with Niki Sharma, Katrine Conroy and Ravi Kahlon in top posts". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Zytaruk, Tom (December 8, 2022). "Four Surrey MLAs named to Eby's cabinet". Peace Arch News. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
- The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ "Statement of Votes — 42nd Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ "2017 Provincial General Election - Statement of Votes" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
External links
