SURREY, B.C. - When voters in Surrey-Newton head to the polls on October 24, one of the names on the ballot will belong to a lawyer who has spent his career inside the justice system he now wants to reform: Harman Preet Singh, the CentreBC candidate, a legal professional currently completing his articling in British Columbia.
Singh’s professional background spans criminal defence, immigration, administrative law, public policy, governance, technology, and business, according to his CentreBC biography. He holds a J.D./BBA LL.B. degree and has added public policy studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, entrepreneurship studies at Babson College, and an advanced diploma in computer programming – an interdisciplinary education he says gives him a broad perspective on law, public policy, technology, and economic development.
Before entering law practice, Singh served as a student member of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Board of Governors, representing more than 22,000 students. The party says the role gave him experience in institutional governance, strategic decision-making, and accountability – and advocates would note it also put a Surrey-based institution at the centre of his public service record.
His priorities, as set out by CentreBC, are safer neighbourhoods, stronger responses to homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges, improved access to justice, greater opportunities in education and skills development, and public institutions that are accessible, transparent, and accountable. It is the platform of a candidate arguing that Surrey-Newton’s most pressing problems – crime, street disorder, and people waiting too long for help – are problems a lawyer and policy professional is built to work on.
Singh speaks English, Punjabi, and Hindi, which his biography presents as a direct channel to Newton residents from diverse backgrounds. Outside of work, he values family, fitness, and lifelong learning, and says time with his six-year-old niece and four-year-old nephew keeps him grounded.
Surrey-Newton is a three-way race this year, and it was decided by a workable margin last time. In 2024, the NDP’s Jessie Sunner won the seat with 7,924 votes (51.2 percent), 1,266 ahead of Conservative Tegjot Bal at 6,658 (43.0 percent), according to the Elections BC Statement of Votes. Sunner is seeking re-election, and the Conservative banner is now carried by Harj Dhaliwal. CentreBC, the new centrist party led by Elenore Sturko, is offering voters a third option in a riding that has historically been an NDP stronghold.
Advance voting in Surrey-Newton runs October 16 to 21 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Westerman Elementary School all six days, at Kwantlen Polytechnic University from Friday to Sunday, and at Frank Hurt Secondary School and Princess Margaret Secondary School on Tuesday and Wednesday. General voting day is Saturday, October 24.
Photo: CentreBC (centrebc.ca)
Sources: centrebc.ca (candidate biography); Elections BC candidate list and Statement of Votes 2024; Elections BC advance voting places 2026; Surrey Citizen candidate list
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