Leah Gazan
- Born
- April 8, 1972 — Thompson, Manitoba
- Career
- Lecturer at the Faculty of Education in University of Winnipeg; President for the Social Planning council of Winnipeg
- Political Experience
- First elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 Canadian federal election, serving as the member of Parliament (MP) for Winnipeg Centre.
- Notable
- Participated in Idle No More, advocated for acknowledgement of injustice perpetuated against Indigenous Canadian adoptive children at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before entering federal politics, Leah Gazan was an educator and activist. She worked as an instructor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg. Her work focused on Indigenous issues and social justice. She was also active in community organizing and advocacy for many years.
Key Relationships & Connections
As a Member of Parliament for the New Democratic Party, Gazan is a member of the caucus led by Jagmeet Singh. She is known for her close ties to Indigenous rights movements and activist organizations across Canada. Her mother, Gladys Gazan, was reportedly a well-known community activist who influenced her work.
Public Controversies
Leah Gazan has been at the center of public debate for her strong advocacy on certain issues. In 2021, she successfully introduced a motion in the House of Commons to have Canada's residential school system recognized as a genocide, a move that was significant but also generated discussion. More recently, her statements regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have drawn considerable attention and controversy. She has been a vocal critic of Israel's military actions in Gaza, and her use of the term "genocide" to describe the situation has been criticized by some pro-Israel advocacy groups and other political figures.
Where Leah falls on key policy spectrums
Your Money
People & Society
How We're Governed
Land & Community
How does Leah Gazan's voting record line up with your values?
Mr. Speaker, I have good news. Today, the Liberals have a chance to vote for our NDP bill to repeal section 107 and protect the right to strike. Unions and workers everywhere have supported it. C-39 The government has a clear choice, continue its unconstitutional attacks on workers in Billor vote in favour of our NDP bill. Which is it? Will the Liberals finally respect the demands of workers or
The second petition comes from my constituents in Winnipeg Centre who are expressing their concern with the government's ongoing violation of international law by its refusal to close the loopholes in Canada for weapons exports that enable Canadian-made arms to be used for war crimes and genocide. My constituents call on the government to fulfill the end of peace and to close this loophole once
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to present two petitions. The first petition calls on the government to suspend staff terminations at Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada and to continue operating the research centre, research farms and the organic and regenerative research program for at least 24 months to provide cost-benefit transparency and to ensure that irreplaceable research capacity and long-term
C-39 Mr. Speaker, today first nations chiefs are in Ottawa at the first nations-first ministers meeting. A main topic of concern is Bill, which first nations across the country have called to be withdrawn, including BCAFN, UBCIC,Treaty 6, Onion Lake, NAN, COO, APNQL and the Iroquois Confederacy representing hundreds of thousands of first nations. Chiefs have been clear that the success of this
Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to table today. The first petition I wish to table is petition e-7649, which has been signed by thousands of people across Canada who are deeply concerned by the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Cuba as a direct result of the United States' unilateral blockade, which is condemned by legal experts as a form of collective punishment. The petition calls on the
Madam Speaker, lastly, I wish to table petition e-7522. The petitioners speak specifically to the memorandum of understanding that was signed between the federal government and Premier Danielle Smith, which they feel delivers a wish list to the oil and gas lobby. The petitioners are concerned that the MOU was signed in violation of the government's duty to obtain free, prior and informed consent
C-247 Madam Speaker, to start out, I will note that it has been over a year since I tabled my bill, Bill, to protect the right to strike in Canada and to repeal the Liberal government's go-to strikebreaking tool: section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. Section 107 lets the minister violate workers' charter-protected right to strike by simply sending an email, which the Liberals have done 10 times
Prime Minister C-39 Mr. Speaker, thecalled Bill“the most consequential legislation” in decades. This is true. It tramples on environmental protections and indigenous and workers' rights while handing ministers king powers to override constitutional safeguards in the name of the so-called national interest. Our constitutional rights are not an inconvenience. Are the Liberals, with the help of the
Madam Speaker, I have to agree with my hon. colleague. Prime Minister The government claims to be the new Liberal government. I absolutely believe that. It is no wonder that former prime minister Stephen Harper called this, in the news, our's ideological error. C-39 C-37 One thing I noticed is that the Liberals are completely in violation of the rights of indigenous peoples. I do not really see
C-37 Madam Speaker, today I rise to speak to Bill, the first nations clean water act. This represents another attempt by the Liberal government to erode indigenous rights while trying to disguise it as progress. C-39 Alongside the violations to the clean water rights in this bill, we are seeing similarly shocking rights violations in Bill, which completely undermines the constitutional duty to
Madam Speaker, I certainly cannot speak on behalf of all first nations people in the country. What I can say as a legislator is that the Liberal government is treating the duty to consult and accommodate and free, prior and informed consent as optional constitutional rights. These are not options for the government. It has done that certainly with this bill, where there has been a very clear
Madam Speaker, that is how sneaky the Liberals are. I want to remind the member across the way that it is a court-ordered amount that the government is obliged to spend. I would also like to remind the member that first nations leaders, including the AFN, have been very clear that it is billions of dollars short to equate the cost of ensuring the right to clean drinking water on first nations. I
Madam Speaker, what I can say is we know that the funding is inadequate. The fact is that the government has put cutbacks on Indigenous Services Canada. We know we have not even recovered from the time of Paul Martin when he put a 2% cap on first nations. I do not want to talk about budget cuts, but I will say is that I hope my Conservative colleagues will support the right and recognition and
Madam Speaker, the reality is that the Conservatives did a mass disinformation campaign around aboriginal title in the Cowichan case, saying that it threatened property owners. We know that the bill would not recognize aboriginal title and that industry has set up outside reserves, which will totally erode the protection of clean drinking water for the Cowichan tribes. Can the hon. member answer
Madam Speaker, it has always a pleasure to work with my hon. colleague. In the legislation, it defines first nations lands as not including “ lands over which Aboriginal title is claimed by a First Nation or has been confirmed by a court.” We know industry is set up by first nations. We also know the legislation would not give first nations jurisdiction over source water and aquifers, therefore