Surrey—Newton

Surrey—Newton covers the Newton neighbourhood, the largest and most populous of Surrey's six town centres, located in the southern portion of the city. Bordered by the City of Delta to the west, Mud Bay and South Surrey to the south, 160th Street to the east, and the communities of Whalley and Fleetwood to the north, Newton spans approximately 5,900 hectares. The riding had a population of approximately 119,600 in the 2021 census. Over half of Newton's residents identify as ethnically South Asian — predominantly Punjabi — making it the world's only Sikh-majority neighbourhood outside India.

Candidates

Sukh Dhaliwal (Liberal) — The incumbent MP, first elected in this riding in 2015 after previously representing Newton—North Delta from 2006 to 2011. Born in Punjab, India, Dhaliwal emigrated to Canada and co-founded a successful land surveying company. He is a professional engineer, Fellow of Engineers Canada, and a registered land surveyor. Dhaliwal played a pivotal role in the campaign to have Sikh Heritage Month officially recognized in Canada.

Avneet Johal (NDP) — A Vancouver-born graduate of Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Simon Fraser University with a degree in criminology. Johal worked at BC Hydro as a corporate security analyst and with the RCMP as a crime analyst. He served as Policy Director for the BC NDP's Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour Committee and was invited to the United Nations to draft policy recommendations on international cooperation in outer space.

Syed Mohsin (Conservative) — An entrepreneur who holds a master's degree and was pursuing a PhD in strategic leadership. Mohsin was elected as a Member of Parliament in Bangladesh in his thirties before emigrating to Canada, where his first job was as an interpreter helping approximately 150 refugee families settle in the country. He has lived in Surrey for over two decades.

Pamela Singh (PPC) — A Vancouver-born security professional who holds degrees from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Simon Fraser University in criminology. Singh worked at BC Hydro as a corporate security analyst and with the Solicitor General's Office and RCMP in crime prevention analysis.

About the Riding

Newton's identity is inseparable from its South Asian community. Every year the neighbourhood hosts one of the largest Vaisakhi parades outside India, drawing tens of thousands of participants and spectators to a celebration of Sikh faith and culture. The Surrey campus of Kwantlen Polytechnic University is located in Newton, along with the Bell Performing Arts Centre and the Newton Cultural Centre, providing educational and cultural anchors for the community.

The riding's economic profile is shaped by small business, trades, and transportation. Many residents work in trucking, warehousing, construction, and retail — sectors that kept the local economy moving during the pandemic but also exposed workers to health risks. The commercial strips along King George Boulevard and 72nd Avenue are lined with South Asian restaurants, grocery stores, jewellery shops, and professional services offices that serve as the commercial heart of the community.

Public safety was a significant concern in Newton. Gang violence had affected the broader Surrey South Asian community, and residents pressed candidates on strategies to address youth recruitment into gangs and organized crime. The RCMP-to-municipal-police transition debate also resonated strongly in Newton, where residents had mixed views on whether a new force would improve community safety outcomes.

Housing affordability was a growing crisis. Despite Newton's historically more affordable housing stock relative to Vancouver, prices had climbed sharply, and multi-generational households became increasingly common as a strategy to manage costs. Over half of the riding's residents did not speak English as their first language, and access to government services in Punjabi and other South Asian languages was an ongoing concern.