The B.C. legislature from the front lawn at Victoria, May 8, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

By The Canadian Press

Independent MLA won’t resign while facing charges labelled intimate partner violence

Mar 30, 2026 | 5:07 PM

VICTORIA — Independent British Columbia legislator Hon Chan says he is not resigning after his assault charges came to light and he was kicked out of the Conservative caucus.

Chan says on Monday while briefly talking with reporters outside the floor of legislature that everybody is “actually innocent until proven guilty” when asked whether he would resign.

Independent MLA Elenore Sturko, who sits one seat removed from Chan in the same row, had said he should resign in pointing to the charges, which were in relation to an alleged incident of intimate partner violence in 2024.

Sturko says Chan is innocent until proven guilty, but she is not sure he can maintain the public’s trust given the “serious allegations” hanging over his head.

The alleged offences against Chan date back to Jan. 12, 2024, but Chan says he was not contacted by police prior to the election in October when he was elected as a Conservative.

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The legislative member for Richmond Centre, who was removed from the Conservative caucus last week, says he neither lied to his constituents nor his party, adding that he was not informed about the appointment of a special prosecutor in June 2025.

B.C. Green member Jeremy Valeriote says he agrees with Sturko’s acknowledgment that Chan is innocent until proven guilty, but also points to the uncertainty that comes from being a legislator while facing criminal charges.

Valeriote says the charges against Chan represent a distraction from his day-to-day job, but adds the public should have known about the appointment of the special prosecutor.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press