Leonard Preyra - MLA for Halifax Citadel – Sable Island

On June 9, 2009, voters of Halifax Citadel-Sable Island re-elected Leonard Preyra to the Legislative Assembly, where he joined 31 other NDP MLAs to form the first NDP Government in Nova Scotia history.  Leonard is currently Ministerial Assistant to the Office of Immigration and a member of the Human Resources and Law Amendments committees.

Leonard immigrated to Canada with his parents and nine siblings from Mumbai, India, in 1968.

Leonard has a Ph.D. in political science from Queen’s University, an M.A. in international political economy and history from the University of Toronto, and a B.A. (Hons.) in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto.

Prior to his election in June 2006, Leonard was Chair of the political science department at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. He is a faculty member (on leave) at Saint Mary’s University. He is also past-president of the Saint Mary’s University Faculty Union.

Leonard is and has been very active in the community. He has served as advisor to the “Save our High School Immersion Program” (SOHIP) executive and has fought hard to keep elementary schools on the Halifax peninsula open. He volunteered for over a decade as a soccer coach and board member at the Halifax City Wanderers Soccer Club. As an active member of the Northwest Arm Coalition, Leonard played a leading role in pressuring government agencies to enact measures to stop infilling on the Northwest Arm. As the MLA for Sable Island, Leonard has worked diligently to raise awareness about Sable Island and our obligation to protect its unique ecosystem. As Official Opposition’s Immigration Critic, Leonard blew the whistle on wrongdoing in the Nova Scotia Nominee Program and helped force the MacDonald government to give exploited immigrants back their money. Leonard helped form a large and active coalition on post-secondary education and introduced measures that improved access and reduced the cost of post-secondary education for students and their families. Leonard has supported Spencer House Seniors’ Home Care to become an active centre in the community and has worked to open public dialogue regarding the plans for the CN Rail Corridor in the South End.

On a national and provincial level, Leonard’s advice has been sought out and valued in many arenas. He worked with two Royal Commissions, on RCMP Security Service and Electoral Reform and Party Financing. He has recently been appointed to the Select Committee on Electoral Boundaries. Prior to his election, he served as political commentator and media analyst. As an academic, he has worked on issues surrounding the uses and abuses of information technology by political parties and on electoral reform (particularly as it relates to mobilizing marginalized groups).

Leonard has two children: Kate and Ben.