Megan Leslie (born September 29, 1973) is a Canadian politician, who has been the federal Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Halifax since the 2008 Canadian federal election. She is a member of the New Democratic Party and serves as NDP critic for housing and homelessness, deputy critic for justice and deputy critic for First Nations, Métis and Inuit affairs (urban issues).

Leslie, who was raised in Kirkland Lake, Ontario,^[1] holds a law degree from Dalhousie University. After her law degree, she worked for the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service as a community legal worker and law professor. She has an extensive background in social justice advocacy on both poverty and LGBT issues, and did an undergraduate thesis on Supreme Court of Canada case law relating to gay and lesbian issues.^[2]

She was a founding member of Halifax's Community Coalition to End Poverty, and presented at the UN Conference on Climate Change. In 2008, she received an award from the Elizabeth Fry Society for her work in housing and homelessness. She also presented an educational workshop for the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission on gender identity, and was involved in the campaign to get sex reassignment surgery covered by Nova Scotia's provincial health care plan. She has stated that her goal in politics is to "use the law to make Canada a better place for people who are marginalized."^[2]

In May 2009, Leslie was chosen as "Best Rookie" by Maclean's in their third annual Parliamentarians of the Year awards.^[1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Megan Leslie
• Parliament of Canada biography

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