Leslyn Lewis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leslyn Lewis MP
Lewis in 2020
Member of Parliament for Haldimand—Norfolk
Incumbent
Assumed office September 20, 2021
Preceded by	Diane Finley
Personal details
Born	Leslyn Ann Lewis (1970-12-02) December 2, 1970 (age 54) Saint Andrew, Surrey, Jamaica
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	Conservative
Education	Trinity College, Toronto (BA) York University (MES, JD, PhD)
Occupation	Politician lawyer

Leslyn Ann Lewis is a Canadian politician and lawyer. She was born on December 2, 1970. She has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Haldimand—Norfolk since 2021. She is part of the Conservative Party. Lewis ran for the party's leader position in 2020 and 2022. She placed third both times. She was the first woman of a visible minority group to run for the federal Conservative Party leadership.

About Leslyn Lewis

Leslyn Ann Lewis was born in Jamaica. She moved to Canada when she was five years old. She grew up in East York, Ontario.

Her Education and Studies

Lewis studied at the University of Toronto. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree there. She also has a Master of Environmental Studies from York University. This degree focused on business and the environment. She also earned a law degree (Juris Doctor) and a PhD in international law from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Her Career as a Lawyer

Lewis has worked as a lawyer since about 2000. She is a managing partner at Lewis Law in Scarborough. Her work focuses on business law and international trade. She also specializes in energy policy. She used to host a TV show called Law Matters.

In 2018, the province of Ontario chose her to join the board of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Later, she helped lead a committee there. This committee was in charge of giving money to youth programs. In 2019, she received a Harry Jerome Award. This award was for her excellent work as a professional.

Her Political Journey

Leslyn Lewis started her political work in the Markham—Stouffville area. She was a vice president for the Conservative Party there. She also helped raise money for the party.

Running in the 2015 Election

In the 2015 federal election, she became a candidate. The Conservative leader, Stephen Harper, chose her. She ran in the Scarborough—Rouge Park area. This happened just weeks before the election. The previous candidate had to leave due to a problem. A newspaper called her a "high-quality substitute." She came in second place in that election.

Running for Party Leader in 2020

In February 2020, Lewis became an official candidate. She was running to be the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. This happened after Andrew Scheer stepped down as leader. If she had won, she would have been the first visible minority woman to lead a major Canadian federal party.

Her platform included ideas that are often called socially conservative. She believes that certain practices are wrong. However, she also had concerns about how new laws might be written. She wanted to make sure that everyday conversations were not accidentally penalized. She also stated that she would not change existing laws about marriage in Canada. She also supported promoting green technology. She did not support carbon taxes.

Lewis won the most popular votes on the second ballot. However, she was eliminated because of the way points were counted. She placed third overall. Erin O'Toole was chosen as the new leader.

Becoming an MP in 2021

On August 25, 2020, Lewis announced she would run for a seat in the House of Commons. On September 15, 2020, she said she would seek the Conservative nomination in Haldimand—Norfolk. She was chosen as the Conservative candidate the next month. On September 20, 2021, Lewis won the seat. She became the MP for Haldimand—Norfolk.

After the election, Lewis spoke about her views on COVID-19 vaccine rules. She did not support vaccine rules for MPs. She also questioned vaccines for children. Because of her views, she was not included in the Conservative shadow cabinet at that time.

Running for Party Leader in 2022

On March 8, 2022, Lewis announced she would run for party leader again. Her campaign was similar to her previous one. She continued to support socially conservative ideas. This included supporting organizations that help pregnant people. She also wanted to change how Canada spends money on health programs in other countries. On September 10, 2022, Lewis lost to Pierre Poilievre. She received 9.69% of the vote.

Her Role in Parliament

In October 2022, Lewis was given a new role. She became the infrastructure critic in Poilievre's shadow cabinet. This means she helps watch over government spending and plans for roads, bridges, and other public works.

Canadian Israel Allies Caucus

In November 2022, Lewis announced the restart of the Canadian Israel Allies Caucus. This group works to build stronger ties between Canada and Israel. Lewis is currently the chair of this caucus. The caucus is part of the Israel Allies Foundation.

Meeting with a European Politician

In February 2023, Lewis met with Christine Anderson. Anderson is a politician from Europe. Other Conservative MPs, Colin Carrie and Dean Allison, were also there. This meeting caused some discussion. Many groups spoke out against it. They said Anderson had views that were not acceptable. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also said Anderson's views were "vile" and racist. He said it would have been better if she had not visited Canada. The three MPs said they did not know about Anderson's views before the meeting. They said they condemn racist and hateful views.

United Nations Petition

In January 2024, Lewis supported an online petition. This petition asked Canada to leave the United Nations. It also asked Canada to leave groups connected to the UN, like the World Health Organization. Lewis promoted this petition on her social media.

Electoral Results

Federal Elections

Conservative Party Leadership Elections

Conservative Leadership Election, September 10, 2022
First and only ballot

Candidate		Votes cast		Points won
	Pierre Poilievre	295,285	70.70%	22,993.42	68.15%
	Jean Charest	48,650	11.65%	5,421.62	16.07%
	Leslyn Lewis	46,374	11.10%	3,269.54	9.69%
	Roman Baber	22,381	5.36%	1,696.76	5.03%
Total		412,690	98.81%	33,737.99	98.94%
Sources: Conservative Party of Canada

2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership results by ballot

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%