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Lena Metlege Diab

Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
Liberal

Halifax West
Nova Scotia
Voting Attendance: 68%
Expenses Last Quarter: $116,563.05

Government Page

Context: House Hansard - 233 - Oct/17/23

Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.)

Oct/17/23 2:08:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on October 18, we celebrate the courage of the Famous Five, trail-blazing women who, in 1929, succeeded in the challenge to the Supreme Court, when they referred the matter to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, thus leading to the historic decision that, yes, women were indeed persons and could become senators. The new definition was then adopted by many countries, that the word “persons” always means women and men. Last week, I was proud to attend and speak at the unveiling of the Famous Five maquette at Mount Saint Vincent University, a fitting host, given that the Mount is celebrating its sesquicentennial, 150 years of opening doors to women and girls. I thank the leadership at the Mount, Famous 5 Foundation CEO Frances Wright, maquette sculptor Barbara Paterson and all women leaders who contributed to such a meaningful event.

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Context: House Hansard - 197 - May/15/23

Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.)

May/15/23 2:00:24 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the students at our Canadian post-secondary institutions on their convocations, including those at Dalhousie in Halifax. In particular, I want to recognize my daughter, Monica, who is receiving her doctorate in philosophy, a Ph.D., in chemical engineering, specializing in fire dynamics. As a member of the Standing Committee on Science and Research, I know the importance of research and having strong women in science. Monica is the mother of two young children, aged two and a half years and two months. She is a skilled soccer player, a coach and a mentor to many. She earned her doctorate by working hard for many years, as well as continuing her lab research through COVID and while pregnant. I am so proud of her accomplishments. Monica's story is inspiring, and I proudly share it to encourage all girls to strive to achieve their dreams. I want every girl out there to keep her dreams alive and trust and believe in herself. We support our girls. Congratulations, Monica. We love you.

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Context: House Hansard - 170 - Mar/21/23

Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.)

Mar/21/23 1:59:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to take part in many events this month held in recognition of International Women’s Day, including an inspiring luncheon hosted by Nisa Homes, a non-profit operating 10 women’s shelters across Canada, and the Vedanta Ashram Society celebration at Halifax’s Hindu temple to pay tribute to the women volunteers who have supported the temple for five decades. We have the Power of Success dinner for all women in business. I had the honour to join the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, where issues like the gender pay gap were on the agenda. I also announced over $1 million in federal support for entrepreneurship centres in Halifax West. Much work remains, but I am confident that we are building a brighter world for women. As my daughter welcomed beautiful baby Isabelle Angelina, my first granddaughter, last week, my hope is that all doors will be open for the next generation of girls.

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Context: House Hansard - 111 - Oct/17/22

Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.)

Oct/17/22 2:01:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, October marks the 30th annual Women’s History Month in Canada. This year's theme is “Elle m'a ouvert la voie” or “She did, so now I can.” I want to take this opportunity to praise the amazing women-led and women-serving organizations in our communities. In Halifax West, I want to give a shout-out to the Centre for Women in Business at Mount Saint Vincent University, which is celebrating 30 years of helping women entrepreneurs this year. The Sisterhood of Diman Foundation, a group of Canadian women with kinship to their ancestral village of Diman, a small village overlooking the Kadisha Valley in Lebanon, raised $160,000 last month to support the education of youth from Diman. As we commemorate Women's History Month, we are inspired to follow in their footsteps and reflect on what every individual can do to create a more equitable society.

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Context: House Hansard - 12 - Dec/7/21

Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.)

Dec/7/21 2:08:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as the first woman to represent my community in the House, I recently reflected on the importance of women's participation in public life. We began this week by reflecting on the tragedy of the École Polytechnique massacre. Each year, this moment of mourning and reflection brings back hard memories and the pit I felt in my stomach when I first heard the news that day as a law student surrounded by my female peers. That cowardly act of misogynistic violence did not stop the progress made by women in our professions or in academia. We would not let it. Of course, we also marked, yesterday, the 100th anniversary of Agnes Macphail's election as the first female MP in this country. Today, we have a record number of female MPs and I expect to join many of them this evening, as Equal Voice Canada celebrates 100 years of women parliamentarians at a gala dinner. Let us use our time here to model to our daughters and granddaughters that this is a place where they belong. Their voices and their contributions matter.

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Member of Parliament

Lena Metlege Diab