Leslyn Lewis
MP
Lewis wearing a dark suit.
Lewis in 2020
Member of Parliament
for Haldimand—Norfolk
Assumed office
September 20, 2021
Preceded byDiane Finley
Personal details
Born (1970-12-02) December 2, 1970
Saint Andrew, Surrey, Jamaica
NationalityCanadian
Political partyConservative
EducationTrinity College, Toronto (BA)
York University (MES, JD, PhD)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • lawyer
Websitewww.leslynlewis.ca

Leslyn Lewis MP (born December 2, 1970) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Haldimand—Norfolk since 2021. A member of the Conservative Party, Lewis contested the party leadership in the 2020 leadership election, placing third. She was the first visible minority woman to run for the federal Conservative Party leadership.[1] She is known for her socially conservative views.

Early life and education

Born in Jamaica, she immigrated to Canada at age five and grew up in East York, Ontario.[2]

Lewis graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with high distinction from the University of Toronto as a student of Trinity College. She also holds a Master of Environmental Studies from York University with a concentration in business and environment from the Schulich School of Business, and a law degree and PhD in international law from Osgoode Hall Law School.[1][3]

Lewis has practiced law since approximately 2000 and is the managing partner of Lewis Law in Scarborough, specializing in commercial litigation and international trade practice, with a focus on energy policy.[1] She has hosted the television show Law Matters.[4]

In 2018 she was appointed by the province of Ontario to the board of the Ontario Trillium Foundation and was later named to the foundation's committee responsible for dispensing funds for youth programs.[5]

In May 2019 she was awarded a Harry Jerome Award for Professional Excellence by the Black Business and Professional Association.[6][7]

Politics

2015 federal election

Lewis began her political career in the riding of Markham—Stouffville, where she was vice president and a primary fundraiser of the Conservative electoral district association while Paul Calandra was MP.

In the 2015 federal election Conservative leader Stephen Harper appointed her as a replacement candidate to run the riding of Scarborough—Rouge Park only a few weeks before the vote after the previous Conservative candidate had been forced to withdraw following a scandal.[8][9] An article in the National Post referred to Lewis as a “high-quality substitute".[10][11][4] She placed second to Liberal candidate Gary Anandasangaree, receiving 13,587 votes.[12][13]

2020 Conservative Party leadership candidate

In February 2020, Lewis was confirmed as an official leadership contestant for the Conservative Party of Canada,[14] following the resignation of Andrew Scheer as leader in December 2019. Had she been successful, she would have been the first visible minority woman to lead any of the three major federal Canadian parties.[lower-alpha 1][1]

Her platform was described as socially conservative.[15] While she considers conversion therapy "an atrocious thing", she raised concerns about the Canadian government's proposed ban, citing an unclear definition that risks penalizing conversations with parents or religious leaders.[16] She stated that while she personally defines marriage as between a man and a woman, she would not roll back existing legislation redefining marriage in Canada.[17] She has stated that she would like to make marijuana access more restrictive and that she thinks reactions to climate change are overblown "in some respects".[18] She has publicly described herself as "pro-life, no hidden agenda" and as leader would have the Conservative Party move to ban sex-selective abortion and coerced abortion, increase government funding for crisis pregnancy centres (which provide alternatives to abortion), and she would end foreign aid funding for abortion.[19] Her candidacy has been endorsed by anti-abortion advocacy groups including the Campaign Life Coalition.[20]

She opposed carbon taxes and supports promoting green technology as an alternative policy.[20]

Despite Lewis leading the second ballot on the popular vote, she was eliminated after placing third in points.[21]

2021 federal election and 44th Parliament

On August 25, 2020, Lewis announced that she would be running for a seat in the House of Commons in an undisclosed riding in the 2021 Canadian federal election.[22] On September 15, 2020, she formally announced that she would be seeking the Conservative nomination in Haldimand—Norfolk.[23][24] She was acclaimed as the Conservative candidate in the riding the next month.[25] On September 20, 2021, Lewis won the seat for the Conservative Party in the 2021 Canadian federal election.[26]

Following the election, Lewis stated her opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates for MPs and questioned COVID-19 vaccines for children. Her position may have caused her to be omitted from the Conservative shadow cabinet. As CBC reported the matter, "Notably absent from the critics' list are MPs who have voiced opposition to COVID-19 vaccine policies."[27]

2022 Conservative Party leadership candidate

Lewis announced on March 8, 2022, that she would again run for the leadership of the Conservative Party.[28] Lewis ran on a similar campaign agenda, championing socially conservative causes like a ban on sex-selective abortion and coerced abortion, providing funding for crisis pregnancy centres and ending the oversees funding of abortions.[29] On September 10, 2022, Lewis lost to Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre on the first ballot, garnering 9.69% of the vote.[30]

Infrastructure Critic

In October 2022, Lewis was appointed to Poilievre's shadow cabinet as infrastructure critic.[31]

In November 2022, Lewis announced the relaunch of the Canadian Israel Allies Caucus.[32] Lewis is presently serving as the chair of the caucus. The caucus is a member of the Israel Allies Foundation.

In February 2023, Lewis, along with fellow Conservative MPs Colin Carrie and Dean Allison, had dinner with Christine Anderson, a Member of the European Parliament representing Alternative for Germany, who was on a Canadian tour of right-wing media and convoy protest supporters. The meeting was condemned by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau among others, for Anderson and AfD's Islamophobic and antisemitic positions. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also denounced Anderson's views as "vile", racist, and said that "it would be better if Anderson never visited Canada in the first place".[33][34] The three MPs released a joint-statement saying that while meetings with foreign elected officials are ordinary, they were unaware of her or her party's views, and that they condemned racist and hateful views. Christine Anderson has, however, denied Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s claim that the three Conservtive MPs involved had no information about her politics before they met her.[35] Lewis harshly responded to the criticism in an article published in the Toronto Sun.[36]

In January 2024, Lewis officially authorized a House of Commons e-petition for Canada to withdraw from the United Nations and UN-affiliated groups such as the World Health Organization and promoted it on her social media. According to the petition's initiator, a resident of Burnaby, British Columbia, the final petition was edited by Lewis's office before it was posted to the Commons website.[37][38][39]

Electoral record

2022 Conservative Party of Canada leadership results by ballot
First round (points allocated)
Poilievre
 
 68.15%
Charest
 
 16.07%
Lewis
 
 9.69%
Baber
 
 5.03%
Aitchison
 
 1.06%
First round (votes cast)
Poilievre
 
 70.7%
Charest
 
 11.6%
Lewis
 
 11.1%
Baber
 
 5.4%
Aitchison
 
 1.2%
2021 Canadian federal election: Haldimand—Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
ConservativeLeslyn Lewis29,66447.39+0.64$95,262.97
LiberalKaren Matthews17,22427.52+2.98$68,413.90
New DemocraticMeghan Piironen8,32013.29-2.05$1,184.27
People'sKen Gilpin6,57010.50+8.44$4,451.20
Christian HeritageCharles Lugosi5590.89-0.47$8,363.12
Veterans CoalitionGeorge McMorrow2550.41-1.40$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 62,505––$121,858.73
Total rejected ballots 425
Turnout 63,01767.18+1.25
Eligible voters 93,802
Conservative hold Swing -2.34
Source: Elections Canada[40]
2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership results by ballot[41]
Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot 3rd ballot
Votes cast % Points allocated % Votes cast % Points allocated % Votes cast % Points allocated %
Erin O'Toole 51,258 29.39% 10,681.40 31.60% 56,907 33.20% 11,903.69 35.22% 90,635 58.86% 19,271.74 57.02%
Peter MacKay 52,851 30.30% 11,328.55 33.52% 54,165 31.60% 11,756.01 34.78% 63,356 41.14% 14,528.26 42.98%
Leslyn Lewis 43,017 24.67% 6,925.38 20.49% 60,316 35.20% 10,140.30 30.00% Eliminated
Derek Sloan 27,278 15.64% 4,864.67 14.39% Eliminated
Total 174,404 100% 33,800 100% 171,388 100% 33,800 100% 153,991 100% 33,800 100%
2015 Canadian federal election: Scarborough—Rouge Park
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalGary Anandasangaree29,91360.24+25.48$144,189.04
ConservativeLeslyn Lewis13,58727.36-4.23$59,291.73
New DemocraticKM Shanthikumar5,14510.36-20.63$58,736.40
GreenCalvin Winter1,0102.03-0.36$1,457.51
Total valid votes/expense limit 49,655100.0–$204,974.26
Total rejected ballots 2350.47New
Turnout 49,89069.98New
Eligible voters 71,291
Source: Elections Canada[42][43]

Notes

  1. ↑ She is the third visible minority woman to run for the leadership of any major national Canadian party, after Rosemary Brown (NDP in 1975) and Hedy Fry (Liberal in 2006).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Werner, Kevin (February 1, 2020). "Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis could make Canadian political history in Conservative leadership race". The Hamilton Spectator.
  2. ↑ "Leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis on representing a side of the Conservatives you 'may not have seen before'". www.thechronicleherald.ca. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  3. ↑ "WARMINGTON: Toronto lawyer sets sights on Conservative leadership | Toronto Sun". January 23, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Conservatives name new candidate for Scarborough-Rouge River riding". Toronto.com. September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Board of Directors". Ontario Trillium Foundation. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Harry Jerome Awards, 2019 Honourees". The Black Business and Professional Association. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  7. ↑ Armstrong, Neil (February 27, 2019). "BBPA Reveals the Names of the 2019 Harry Jerome Award Recipients". Anglescovered.blogspot.com. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Jerry Bance, Conservative caught peeing in mug, no longer candidate, party says". CBC News. September 7, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Tories drop two candidates after videos show one peeing in cup, the other making prank calls". National Post. September 7, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  10. ↑ Hopper, Tristin (September 26, 2015). "Solving an 'electoral emergency': How parties find replacements for candidates who self-destruct". National Post. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  11. ↑ DiMatteo, Enzo (October 14, 2015). "You choose the best of the rest". NOW Magazine. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Voter Information Service". Elections Canada Results. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  13. ↑ "SCARBOROUGH-ROUGE PARK: Liberal Anandasangaree elected new MP elected for new riding". Toronto.com. October 20, 2015.
  14. ↑ Canada, P. M. N. (February 12, 2020). "Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis becomes official candidate for Conservative leader | National Post". National Post.
  15. ↑ Platt, Brian (March 10, 2020). "Leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis on representing a side of the Conservatives you 'may not have seen before'". The Chronicle Herald. Postmedia Network. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  16. ↑ Smith, Marie-Danielle (July 13, 2020). "I don't hide who I am: Leslyn Lewis's pitch to conservative voters". Macleans. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  17. ↑ Turnbull, Sarah (May 22, 2020). "Three months out from Tory leadership vote, Lewis positions herself as unity candidate". CTV. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  18. ↑ Platt, Brian (March 10, 2020). "Leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis on representing a side of the Conservatives you 'may not have seen before'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  19. ↑ Turnbull, Sarah (May 22, 2020). "Three months out from Tory leadership vote, Lewis positions herself as unity candidate". CTV News. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  20. 1 2 Cullen, Catherine (March 10, 2020). "Conservative leadership contender Leslyn Lewis sells herself to social conservatives, takes shots at MacKay". CBC News. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  21. ↑ Grenier, Éric (August 24, 2020). "Erin O'Toole courted the right of the Conservative Party and won". CBC News. Archived from the original on August 24, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  22. ↑ Lewis, Leslyn (August 25, 2020). "I'm running!". Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  23. ↑ Platt, Brian (September 15, 2020). "Leslyn Lewis to seek Conservative nomination in Ontario riding of Haldimand-Norfolk". National Post. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  24. ↑ Lewis, Leslyn (September 15, 2020). "Leslyn Lewis Announces Intention to Run for Conservative Nomination in Haldimand-Norfolk". Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  25. ↑ Hristova, Booby (October 16, 2020). "Leslyn Lewis acclaimed in Haldimand-Norfolk after local entrepreneur denied candidacy". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  26. ↑ Lawson, Andrea (May 12, 2021). "Conservative MP Diane Finley resigns - CHCH". www.chch.com. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  27. ↑ Tasker, John Paul (November 9, 2021). "O'Toole leaves MPs who questioned vaccine policy out of his shadow cabinet". CBC News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  28. ↑ "MP Leslyn Lewis launches Conservative leadership bid for second time". CTVNews. March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  29. ↑ "No Hidden Agenda". Leslyn Lewis. April 28, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  30. ↑ Tasker, John Paul (September 10, 2022). "Conservative members pick MP Pierre Poilievre to be their new leader". CBC News. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  31. ↑ Antonacci, J.P. (October 13, 2022). "Shadow cabinet post for Haldimand-Norfolk MP Leslyn Lewis". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  32. ↑ Lewis, Leslyn (November 28, 2022). "Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  33. ↑ Steele, Alistair (February 24, 2023). "Poilievre condemns 'vile' views of German politician seen lunching with Conservative MPs". CBC News. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Poilievre condemns 'racist' views of far-right German politician who met Tory MPs". Global News. The Canadian Press. February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  35. ↑ "German politician dismisses Poilievre's claims Conservative MPs were not aware of her political views". Globe & Mail. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  36. ↑ "WARMINGTON: Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis won't be called racist by blackface PM".
  37. ↑ Izri, Touria (January 4, 2024). "Conservative MP backs petition for Canada to pull out of United Nations". Global News. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  38. ↑ LeBrun, Luke (January 8, 2024). "Conservative MP Helped Draft Text of Conspiratorial United Nations Petition, Author of Petition Says". PressProgress. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  39. ↑ "e-4623 (Foreign affairs)". House of Commons. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  40. ↑ "September 20, 2021 General Election Election Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  41. ↑ "RCV Short Report" (PDF). August 24, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  42. ↑ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Scarborough—Rouge Park, 30 September 2015
  43. ↑ Elections Canada – Final Candidates Election Expenses Limits
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