Megan Leslie
| Megan Leslie | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Halifax |
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In office October 14, 2008 – October 19, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Alexa McDonough |
| Succeeded by | Andy Fillmore |
| Deputy Leader of the New Democratic Party | |
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In office April 19, 2012 – October 19, 2015 Serving with Libby Davies and David Christopherson |
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| Leader | Thomas Mulcair |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 29, 1973 Toronto, Ontario |
| Political party | New Democratic Party |
| Profession | community legal worker |
Megan Anissa Leslie (born September 29, 1973) is a Canadian politician and was the federal Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Halifax since the 2008 Canadian federal election until 2015. She is a member of the New Democratic Party and served as the party's critic for the environment. In 2012, Leslie was named as one of the deputy leaders of the Official Opposition – one of the youngest MPs ever to be selected for the post.
Leslie was raised in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social & Political Thought and History and a Certificate in Refugee and Migration Studies, both from York University. She has a law degree from Dalhousie University.
Leslie is the daughter of Finnish immigrants, and grew up in a Finnish community in Kirkland Lake. She has attended Finnish events such as the Annual Suurjuhlat (Grand Fest). In 2010, Megan Leslie gave the first Varpu Lindström lecture, an annual event created in honour of Professor Varpu Lindström, a history researcher at York University (Toronto). Leslie also spent a year studying at the University of Tampere in Finland.
After her law degree, she worked for the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service in a community in Halifax. She has a background in social justice advocacy on poverty issues. She is a founding member of the Affordable Energy Coalition, and advocated cheaper energy rates to help low-income earners. She was part of a successful settlement agreement with Nova Scotia Power Inc. regarding energy efficiency programs. She has advocated at Residential Tenancies, Small Claims, Income Assistance Appeal Board, CPP Disability Tribunal, and Utility and Review Board hearings. Leslie has coordinated mobile legal info clinics in the Halifax area. These include Direction 180, Stepping Stone, Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association (now Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia), Metro Turning Point, Bayers Westwood Parent Resource Centre, Single parent Centre and Adsum House. Leslie also developed the "Tenant Rights Project" that worked directly with low-income earners to reduce rates of homelessness.
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