Niki Ashton
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Niki Christina Ashton (b. September 9, 1983) is a Thompson, Manitoba, Canada, resident who represented the New Democratic Party (NDP) in the Churchill riding for the 2006 federal election, where she finished second. She is the daughter of Manitoba provincial NDP cabinet minister Steve Ashton.
[edit] History
Niki Ashton was born in Thompson and attended École Riverside School and R.D. Parker Collegiate high school. She has B.A on Global Political Economics from the University of Manitoba, and a M.A on International Relations from Carleton University.
Later, she was a coordinator and promoter of volunteering at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. At the event, she assisted the Chinese team.
She has studied human rights in Canada and was awarded the Ahmed Ali Hashi Human Rights Scholarship for her work.
[edit] Role in 2006 Canadian federal election
She defeated incumbent NDP Member of Parliament Bev Desjarlais for the New Democratic Party nomination due, in part, to the same-sex marriage issue after Desjarlais broke party ranks to vote against the Civil Marriage Act.
Some of Ashton's major themes in her campaigns are getting federal funding for the University College of the North as well as getting a federal government Northern Development Agreement.
In the federal election of January 23, 2006, she was defeated by the Liberal Party candidate, Tina Keeper.
