From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Niki Ashton
Niki Ashton
Niki Ashton
MP, BA, MA
MP, BA,
Career
In 2005, she defeated incumbent New Democratic Party
Member of the Canadian Parliament
Member of Parliament Bev Desjarlais for the NDP nomi-
for Churchill
nation due, in part, to the same-sex marriage issue after
Incumbent Desjarlais broke party ranks to vote against the Civil Mar-
Assumed office riage Act. Desjarlais subsequently quit the party and sat
2008 as an independent for the remainder of her term; she ran
against Ashton as an independent candidate in the elec-
Preceded by Tina Keeper
tion in Churchill in the 2006 Canadian federal election.[4]
Personal details Some of Ashton’s major themes in her campaign were
getting federal funding for the University College of the
Born Niki Christina Ashton
September 9, 1982 (1982-09-09) North, as well as getting a federal government northern
Thompson, Manitoba development agreement.
Although the labour unions in Thompson endorsed
Political party New Democratic Party
Ashton,[5] the NDP vote nevertheless split between Ash-
Spouse(s) Ryan Barker ton and Desjarlais, and the riding was won by Liberal Par-
ty candidate Tina Keeper.[6]
Residence Thompson, Manitoba
Ashton defeated Keeper in the 2008 election to regain
Profession University lecturer, researcher the riding for the NDP.
In 2011 Ashton received the support of American doc-
Niki Christina Ashton (born September 9, 1982) is the umentary film maker Michael Moore[7] in her fight to
New Democratic Member of Parliament for the electoral prevent the closing of Brazilian mining company Vale’s
district of Churchill in Manitoba, Canada. She was first smelter and refinery in Thompson, Manitoba. Vale,
elected in the 2008 federal election. which owned the refinery after it took over Canadian
A resident of Thompson, Manitoba, she is the daugh- company Inco, had earlier received a $1 billion unsecured
ter of Manitoba provincial NDP cabinet minister Steve loan from the Harper Government and under the Invest-
Ashton. She has been an instructor at the University Col- ment Canada Act signed a contractual agreement with
lege of the North.[1] the federal government. A media investigation found
that Vale broke this agreement but as of May 2011 the
Personal life government has yet to file punitive action against Vale.[8]
On November 7, 2011, in Montreal, Niki Ashton
Ashton was born in Thompson and attended École River- launched her campaign as the ninth person to join the
side School and R.D. Parker Collegiate high school. She NDP leadership race.[9]
later attended the Li Po Chun United World College of
Hong Kong. She has a B.A in Global Political Economy
from the University of Manitoba, and a M.A in Interna- Electoral record
tional Affairs from Carleton University. Canadian federal election, 2011
Later, she was a coordinator and promoter of volun-
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
teering at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. At the event,
she assisted the Chinese team. New Democ- Niki Ash- 10,262 51.1% +3.34% -
She has studied human rights in Canada and was rat ton
awarded the Ahmed Ali Hashi Human Rights Scholarship Conservative Wally 5,256 26.2% +5.7% -
for her work. Daudrich
She speaks Greek, French, English and Spanish. She
Liberal Sydney 4,087 20.4% -8.34% -
has studied Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Ukrainian and
Garrioch
Turkish, and is currently learning Cree.
Ashton married Ryan Barker in August 2011 in Green Alberteen 471 2.3% -0.99% -
Alexandroupoli, Greece, her mother’s hometown[2][3]. Spence
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Niki Ashton
Total valid votes/Expense 20,076 100.00% - [3] "Senators’ home cooking and a no-fuss wedding".
limit Maclean’s. September 12, 2011.
http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/09/12/mitchel-
Total rejected ballots 107
raphael-on-senators’-home-cooking-and-a-no-
Turnout 20,183 - - fuss-wedding. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
Canadian federal election, 2008 [4] "Churchill MP quits NDP after nomination loss".
CBC News. October 18, 2005. http://www.cbc.ca/
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
news/canada/manitoba/story/2005/10/18/
New Democ- Niki Ashton 8,735 47.4% mb_desjarlais-20051017.html. Retrieved June 11,
rat 2011.
Liberal Tina Keeper 5,313 28.83% [5] "NDP Candidate Niki Ashton Backed by Unions".
Conservative Wally Dau- 3,774 20.48% Manitoba Federation of Labour.
drich http://www.mfl.mb.ca/a11.shtml. Retrieved June
11, 2011.
Green Saara Harvie 606 3.29%
[6] "Canada Votes 2006 - Candidates & Ridings - 216
Total valid votes 18,428 100.00% Churchill". CBC News. http://www.cbc.ca/
Total rejected ballots canadavotes2006/riding/216/. Retrieved June 11,
Turnout % 2011.
[7] Barker, John (February 25, 2011). "Michael Moore
NDP gain from Liberal Swing
delivers the goods for Niki Ashton". Thompson
Canadian federal election, 2006 Citizen (Glacier Media Group).
Party Candidate Votes % ±% http://www.thompsoncitizen.net/article/
Expenditures
20110225/THOMPSON0501/110229953/-1/
Liberal Tina 10,159 40.67% +2.32% $75,179
thompson/michael-moore-delivers-the-goods-for-
Keeper
niki-ashton. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
New Democ- Niki Ash- 7103 28.44% -14.99% $70,290 [8] Ashton, Niki (February 25, 2011). "It Was Flint
rat ton Yesterday, It’s Us and Wisconsin Today, and
Independent Bev Des- 4283 17.15% -26.28% $23,042 Tomorrow It’s Going to Be Everyone". Mike &
jarlais Friends Blog. Michael Moore.
Conservative Nazir Ah- 2886 11.55% -3.57% $23,875 http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-
mad friends-blog/it-was-flint-yesterday-its-us-
wisconsin-today. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
Green Jeff Foun- 401 1.61% -1.41% $2,837
[9] http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/11/
tain
07/pol-ndp-niki-ashton.html
Independent Brad Bod- 146 0.58% $68.69
nar
Total valid votes 100.00%
External links
• Niki Ashton
Total rejected ballots
• Niki Ashton - Parliament of Canada biography
Turnout 24978 55.53%
Persondata
Liberal gain from NDP Swing +8.7
Name Ashton, Niki
Alternative names
References Short description
[1] "About Niki Ashton". Niki Ashton. New Democratic Date of birth September 9, 1982
Party. http://nikiashton.ndp.ca/about. Retrieved
Place of birth Thompson, Manitoba
June 11, 2011.
[2] "For Churchill MP, scrapping Canadian Wheat Date of death
Board is a big fat headache". The Globe & Mail. Place of death
October 28, 2011.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/
ottawa-notebook/for-churchill-mp-plans-to-scrap-
canadian-wheat-board-are-a-big-fat-headache/
article2218092. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Niki_Ashton&oldid=463233372"
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Niki Ashton
Categories:
• 1982 births
• Canadian women Members of Parliament
• Canadian people of Greek descent
• Living people
• Members of the Canadian House of Commons from Manitoba
• New Democratic Party MPs
• People from Thompson, Manitoba
• Women in Manitoba politics
• Carleton University alumni
• University of Manitoba alumni
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