Beyond Politics
Niki Ashton
Host Catherine Clark goes beyond politics to provide a window into the lives of public figures through informal, one-on-one, out-of-studio interviews. Beyond Politics reveals the personal, human side of life in the spotlight. In this episode, Catherine speaks with Niki Ashton, New Democratic Party MP for Churchill, Manitoba. At 26 years of age, Ms. Ashton is one this country's youngest MPs. Elected for the first time in fall 2008, she comes from a prominent political family in Manitoba. Her father, Steve Ashton, is a cabinet minister in the Gary Doer government. Growing up in the northern mining community of Thompson, Ms. Ashton developed a passion for politics at an early age. Both of her parents instilled in her the importance of pursuing a good education and volunteering in the community. Ms. Ashton’s organizational skills helped her land a stint with the Canadian Olympic Team, in Athens, where she was able to put her knowledge of Greek to help not only Canadian Olympians, but Chinese Olympians as well.
