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The Conservative Party of BC ousted another caucus member Wednesday after learning Hon Chan, the MLA for Richmond Centre, is facing criminal charges.
The BC Prosecution Service said Chan has been charged in provincial court with assault, assault by choking and uttering threats for offences alleged to have occurred on Jan. 12, 2024, in Richmond.
“Prior to yesterday, the caucus and party had no knowledge of this matter or any related incidents,” interim Conservative Party of BC leader Trevor Halford said in an emailed statement, stressing the party acted as soon as Chan informed him of the charges.
“Our caucus wishes to be clear, any allegations of domestic violence are taken seriously,” said Halford. “Anyone who experiences it deserves to know that people in positions of public trust will be held to the highest standard of accountability.”
He added that Chan is entitled to be presumed innocent and get due process before the courts.
The police investigation into the allegations has been going on for some time.
Andi MacKay, a lawyer in private practice in Vancouver, was appointed as a special prosecutor on the file on June 27, 2025, as the Richmond RCMP investigated the allegations. Her appointment was not publicly announced until Wednesday, the BC Prosecution Service said in a statement.
Special prosecutors are appointed from outside the prosecution service to “avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice considering the nature of the allegations and the identity of the accused as an elected public official.”
Chan has a first appearance scheduled for April 22 in Richmond provincial court.
Speaking for the NDP caucus, Victoria-Beacon Hill MLA Grace Lore said in a statement her thoughts were with the victim and every other woman in B.C. “who has faced intimate partner violence, who has experienced coercion, threats, abuse, and physical violence at the hands of their husbands or partners, and for whom home has been a source of fear instead of safety and care.”
The incident happened more than two years ago and before Chan’s nomination to be a candidate for the Conservative Party of BC, she said.
“Removing Hon Chan from the caucus is an important first step, but it’s not nearly enough. The BC Conservatives should call on him to resign immediately and state clearly that he will not be a BC Conservative MLA or candidate in the future.”
It’s inappropriate for someone facing criminal charges for violent crimes to continue serving as an MLA, said Lore. “His constituents, survivors of intimate partner violence, and all British Columbians deserve better than that.”
The BC Greens are also calling on Chan to resign as an MLA.
“Domestic violence and intimate partner violence are a scourge on our society and rarely reported in Canada,” Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, said in a statement.
“We stand with victims and promote barrier-free access to supports and resources, including the full weight of the justice system, for anyone who needs them,” he said.
“It’s incumbent on Members of the Legislative Assembly to uphold the highest standards — and to face accountability if they do not. Elected officials have a responsibility to maintain the public’s trust.”
In a post on X, Chan’s office said he “disagrees with the allegation and looks forward to defending himself through the legal process.”
“He will continue to co-operate fully with the police and the court process,” it said. “As this matter is now before the court, no further comment will be made at this time.”
Chan worked as a journalist before being elected.
His departure reduces the Conservative Party of BC caucus to 38 MLAs, down from the 44 elected in the October 2024 election, after several expulsions and resignations. ![[Tyee]](/design-article.thetyee.ca/ui/img/yellowblob.png){kind=small}
Read more: BC Politics
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