The life of an activist

Halifax MP Megan Leslie is a Dal Law School grad. (Bruce Bottomley Photo)

When Megan Leslie, Member of Parliament for Halifax, realized she was going to law school, her grandmother had one question: would she be an OPP or an RCMP officer? “That’s all my family knew about being a lawyer,” Ms. Leslie says. “I learned to be a lawyer is to fight for social change.”

Ms. Leslie spoke recently to Dalhousie law students at Law Hour, a speaker series hosted by the Dalhousie Law School. The Halifax New Democrat has garnered attention with the Rookie MP of the Year award from Maclean’s magazine and her push for reform regarding poverty. The 2004 law school graduate discussed working towards social change to reduce poverty through community involvement, activism and law reform. “In my first year, I met students who wanted to be corporate lawyers,” says Ms. Leslie. “I wanted to get out there and be a part of the community. I wanted something different.”

Ms. Leslie is one of the founders of the Student Activist Law Student Association (SALSA), a social activist group focused on using the law to create social change. Group members attend protests for observation and hold educational workshops on various topics such as tenants’ rights and filing complaints against the police.

After graduation, Ms. Leslie worked at the Dalhousie Legal Aid Services working with community groups to help reduce poverty. “As a law student you learn what the law says, what the problem is and how to fix it. I learned how law works in the community. People came to the office talking about whether to pay for their overdue electricity bill or groceries.”

Her work extended beyond legal services. As a poverty activist, she worked with groups involved in working with the homeless and low income families. She became the spokesperson for the Affordable Energy Coalition (AEC), a group focused on reducing poverty through energy reform. The group regularly attends meetings of the Utility Review Board to advocate for lower energy rates. The AEC persuaded the Nova Scotia Power Inc. from eliminating disconnection fees and pressuring the former provincial Conservative government to provide assistance towards energy costs. “When I heard the Rodney MacDonald talk about affordable energy, it was incredible. The ideas they had were not good but the fact that we got politicians talking about the issue was great.”

While Ms. Leslie’s days consist of committee meetings and reviewing legislation, she remains committed to her roots of activism. Her recommendation is for students to find their own passion through helping others. “Create your own projects and dialogue. Link yourself to the community and find what works best for you.”