Raymond Chan
Encyclopedia
Raymond Chan, PC
' onMouseout='HidePop("13192")' href="/topics/Jyutping">Jyutping
: Can4 Ceok3 Jyu4), (b. 1951) is the first Chinese Canadian
to be appointed to the Cabinet of Canada
. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada
, Chan was elected to Parliament in the 1993 federal election
, defeating then Defence Minister Tom Siddon
in the riding of Richmond, British Columbia
. Chan is the third Chinese Canadian to be elected to Parliament, after Douglas Jung
, who secured a seat in 1957, and Art Lee
in 1974. In 2008, Chan lost his riding of Richmond to Conservative candidate Alice Wong
. He and Inky Mark are the longest serving parliamentarians of Chinese root in Canada.
on October 25, 1951. He emigrated to Canada in 1969, two years after Canada liberalized its immigration policy. He received a B.A.Sc.
degree in Engineering Physics
from the University of British Columbia
(UBC) in 1977. From 1977 to 1993, he worked as an engineer for TRIUMF
, a particle accelerator laboratory at UBC.
In 1989, upon the occurrence of the Tiananmen incident, Chan played an active role in supporting the protesting students in China. Later,
he was elected as the first chairman of the Vancouver Alliance in support of Patriotic Democratic Movement in China. He was heroically regarded by the local Chinese community. Hence, it paved the way for his future success in participating in the Canadian politics.
in 1991, and was elected to Parliament in the 1993 election
, defeating Defence Minister Tom Siddon
in the riding of Richmond, British Columbia
. Chan secured the nomination win over future cabinet colleague Herb Dhaliwal
, who subsequently chose to run in the adjacent Vancouver South
riding. He was then appointed by Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien
as the Secretary of State
for the Asia-Pacific
Region for the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
. He served in this position from 1993 to 2000.
He was defeated in the 2000 election
by Joe Peschisolido
of the Canadian Alliance
. After Peschisolido crossed the floor
to the Liberal Party, Chan battled Peschisolido for the Liberal Party's nomination, and won it after a fiercely-contested race.
Chan returned to Parliament in the 2004 election
. He was subsequently appointed to the cabinet by Prime Minister Paul Martin
as the Minister of State
(Multiculturalism
) for the Department of Heritage.
Chan was re-elected in 2006, and served as Opposition Critic for the Asia Pacific, Seniors, the Social Economy, and Canadian Border Security throughout the 39th session of Parliament.
He was succeeded by Conservative Alice Wong
in the election of 2008, when the Federal Liberal vote in British Columbia fell to a low of 19%. He was also forsaken by his constituents due to his failure in honouring his promise to vote against the same sex marriage bill in the parliament. His downfall was believed to be a consequence of his breaching of trust with his voters.In 2009 he sought nomination as a Liberal candidate again in the Richmond riding and was defeated by his old rival, Joe Peschisolido. From then on, he has begun to retire from politics and lived on his political pension.
|- align="center"
| width="30%" | Preceded by:
Tom Siddon
| width="40%" rowspan=2| Member of Parliament for Richmond
1993–2000, 2004–2006
| width="30%" | Succeeded by:
Joe Peschisolido
|- align="center" width="30%"
| Preceded by:
Joe Peschisolido
| Succeeded by:
--Alice Wong
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
' onMouseout='HidePop("13192")' href="/topics/Jyutping">Jyutping
Jyutping
Jyutping is a romanization system for Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong in 1993. Its formal name is The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme...
: Can4 Ceok3 Jyu4), (b. 1951) is the first Chinese Canadian
Chinese Canadian
Chinese Canadians are Canadians of Chinese descent. They constitute the second-largest visible minority group in Canada, after South Asian Canadians...
to be appointed to the Cabinet of Canada
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, Chan was elected to Parliament in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, defeating then Defence Minister Tom Siddon
Tom Siddon
Thomas Edward "Tom" Siddon, PC is a Canadian politician.Born in Drumheller, Alberta Siddon pursued engineering, eventually earning a doctorate in aeroacoustics. He became a professor at the University of British Columbia and founded a successful aero-acoustics firm, Siddon-Harford & Associates...
in the riding of Richmond, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Chan is the third Chinese Canadian to be elected to Parliament, after Douglas Jung
Douglas Jung
Douglas Jung, CM, OBC, CD was the first Chinese Canadian Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons.-Early life:...
, who secured a seat in 1957, and Art Lee
Art Lee
Arthur John Lee is a politician and lawyer in British Columbia , Canada.Lee was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada to represent the electoral district of Vancouver East in the 1974 federal election...
in 1974. In 2008, Chan lost his riding of Richmond to Conservative candidate Alice Wong
Alice Wong
Alice Siu-Ping Chan Wong, PC, MP is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of Richmond. She is a member of the Conservative Party and formerly served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism...
. He and Inky Mark are the longest serving parliamentarians of Chinese root in Canada.
Early life
Raymond Chan was born in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on October 25, 1951. He emigrated to Canada in 1969, two years after Canada liberalized its immigration policy. He received a B.A.Sc.
Bachelor of Applied Science
The Bachelor of Applied Science, often abbreviated as BAS, BSAS. BASc or BAppSc is an undergraduate degree awarded for a course of study that generally lasts three to four years in the United Kingdom and Australia, and four to six years in Canada, the Netherlands and the United States.-Usage:In...
degree in Engineering Physics
Engineering physics
Engineering physics is the study of the combined disciplines of physics, engineering and mathematics in order to develop an understanding of the interrelationships of these three disciplines. Fundamental physics is combined with problem solving and engineering skills, which then has broad...
from the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(UBC) in 1977. From 1977 to 1993, he worked as an engineer for TRIUMF
TRIUMF
TRIUMF is Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics. Its headquarters are located on the south campus of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. TRIUMF houses the world's largest cyclotron, source of 500 MeV protons, which was named an IEEE Milestone...
, a particle accelerator laboratory at UBC.
In 1989, upon the occurrence of the Tiananmen incident, Chan played an active role in supporting the protesting students in China. Later,
he was elected as the first chairman of the Vancouver Alliance in support of Patriotic Democratic Movement in China. He was heroically regarded by the local Chinese community. Hence, it paved the way for his future success in participating in the Canadian politics.
Political career
Chan joined the Liberal Party of CanadaLiberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in 1991, and was elected to Parliament in the 1993 election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, defeating Defence Minister Tom Siddon
Tom Siddon
Thomas Edward "Tom" Siddon, PC is a Canadian politician.Born in Drumheller, Alberta Siddon pursued engineering, eventually earning a doctorate in aeroacoustics. He became a professor at the University of British Columbia and founded a successful aero-acoustics firm, Siddon-Harford & Associates...
in the riding of Richmond, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Chan secured the nomination win over future cabinet colleague Herb Dhaliwal
Herb Dhaliwal
Harbance Singh Dhaliwal, PC is a Canadian politician.Born to a Sikh family in Punjab, India, Dhaliwal's family immigrated to Vancouver when he was six. He attended John Oliver Secondary School, graduating in 1972...
, who subsequently chose to run in the adjacent Vancouver South
Vancouver South
Vancouver South is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1997, and since 2004. It covers the southern portion of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia....
riding. He was then appointed by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
as the Secretary of State
Secretary of State (Canada)
Secretary of State was a title given to some Ministers of State in the Government of Canada sitting outside Cabinet from 1993 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2008. Secretaries of State were members of the ministry and the Queen's Privy Council for Canada...
for the Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
Region for the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Canada)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade , more commonly known as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, is a department in the Government of Canada which has responsibility for foreign policy and diplomacy, as well as import/export and international trade policies.On June...
. He served in this position from 1993 to 2000.
He was defeated in the 2000 election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
by Joe Peschisolido
Joe Peschisolido
Joe Peschisolido is a Canadian politician and businessman.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Peschisolido has a BA degree in Political Science from Trinity College at the University of Toronto and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.In 1993, Peschisolido joined the Reform Party of Canada...
of the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
. After Peschisolido crossed the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
to the Liberal Party, Chan battled Peschisolido for the Liberal Party's nomination, and won it after a fiercely-contested race.
Chan returned to Parliament in the 2004 election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
. He was subsequently appointed to the cabinet by Prime Minister Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
as the Minister of State
Minister of state (Canada)
A Minister of State is a junior cabinet minister in the Canadian Cabinet, usually given specific responsibilities to assist a senior cabinet minister in a specific area....
(Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
) for the Department of Heritage.
Chan was re-elected in 2006, and served as Opposition Critic for the Asia Pacific, Seniors, the Social Economy, and Canadian Border Security throughout the 39th session of Parliament.
He was succeeded by Conservative Alice Wong
Alice Wong
Alice Siu-Ping Chan Wong, PC, MP is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of Richmond. She is a member of the Conservative Party and formerly served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism...
in the election of 2008, when the Federal Liberal vote in British Columbia fell to a low of 19%. He was also forsaken by his constituents due to his failure in honouring his promise to vote against the same sex marriage bill in the parliament. His downfall was believed to be a consequence of his breaching of trust with his voters.In 2009 he sought nomination as a Liberal candidate again in the Richmond riding and was defeated by his old rival, Joe Peschisolido. From then on, he has begun to retire from politics and lived on his political pension.
External links
- Raymond Chan's homepage
- How'd They Vote?: Raymond Chan's voting history and quotes
- List of the registered Richmond riding third party campaigns in the 2006 federal election.
|- align="center"
| width="30%" | Preceded by:
Tom Siddon
Tom Siddon
Thomas Edward "Tom" Siddon, PC is a Canadian politician.Born in Drumheller, Alberta Siddon pursued engineering, eventually earning a doctorate in aeroacoustics. He became a professor at the University of British Columbia and founded a successful aero-acoustics firm, Siddon-Harford & Associates...
| width="40%" rowspan=2| Member of Parliament for Richmond
1993–2000, 2004–2006
| width="30%" | Succeeded by:
Joe Peschisolido
Joe Peschisolido
Joe Peschisolido is a Canadian politician and businessman.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Peschisolido has a BA degree in Political Science from Trinity College at the University of Toronto and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.In 1993, Peschisolido joined the Reform Party of Canada...
|- align="center" width="30%"
| Preceded by:
Joe Peschisolido
| Succeeded by:
--Alice Wong
Alice Wong
Alice Siu-Ping Chan Wong, PC, MP is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of Richmond. She is a member of the Conservative Party and formerly served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism...