This is kind of amazing. This young woman is one of the hopefuls to claim the job as leader of the Federal New Democratic Party of Canada, and, as stated in her about page, the next Prime Minister of Canada.
Here’s the low down from her about page (and a link to her site, either click the picture or click here).
First elected MP for the riding of Churchill in 2008 and re-elected in 2011, Niki Ashton has been a strong voice for equality in Parliament.
Niki has spoken out on poverty, including calling for action to end the third-world conditions facing Northern and Aboriginal people. She has been fighting to maintain Canadian jobs and control over our economy. She has been a strong voice for gender equality and human rights, including fighting for same-sex marriage rights. She has been a leading voice in fighting against the destruction of the Canadian Wheat Board.
The youngest woman in the 40th Parliament, Niki served as the NDP Post-Secondary and Youth critic and as Rural and Community Development critic. Niki was elected as the Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women in the current Parliament.
Niki has been active in the NDP all her life. She has served as the Chair of the NDP Status of Women Committee and on the Provincial Executive in Manitoba. She has been on the NDP Federal Council since 2006.
A former instructor with University College of the North, she has an MA in International Affairs (Carleton University) and a BA in Global Political Economy (University of Manitoba). She is completing her PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Art Mauro Centre at the University of Manitoba. She is fluent in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Greek, her mother-tongue, and she has studied four others.
Niki lives with her partner, Ryan Barker, in the city of Thompson, Manitoba, where she was born and raised.
Niki believes that it is vital for the New Democratic Party to put forward a vision of new politics that seeks to bring Canadians together.
And here is a video with Niki speaking on her ten point plan at last year’s NDP Leadership debate.
Related articles
- Niki Ashton joins NDP leadership race (thestar.com)
- Manitoba MP Niki Ashton joins NDP leadership race (news.nationalpost.com)
- NDP leadership: Ashton’s campaign focuses on equality (vancouversun.com)
- NDP leadership: Ashton’s campaign focuses on equality (canada.com)
- Niki Ashton to make NDP leadership announcement (cbc.ca)
- Niki Ashton enters NDP leadership race (cbc.ca)
- NDP leadership: Mulcair ponders pension plan; Nash talks gun registry (vancouversun.com)
- Niki Ashton: Youngest Candidate to Race as NDP Leader (ibtimes.com)
- NDP leadership: Mulcair ponders pension plan; Nash talks gun registry (canada.com)
Turn the Page 
Darlene Steelman
January 12, 2012 at 12:57 pm
I am not from Canada… and I don’t know who this Nikki lady is.. but she sounds pretty awesome!
Tim
January 12, 2012 at 1:45 pm
I would truly love to see this woman achieve the office of the Prime Minister. I’ve read a few things about her, I’ve watched videos about her, she is intelligent, thoughtful, she speaks four languages fluently and is learning four other which means she’d be an incredible diplomat and representative of this country, and she cares about the economy of the country and the people of the country. Her ideas are what Canada needs in this century.