Resource-rich regions should benefit from those resources, says an NDP leadership candidate.
Niki Ashton, at 29 years old is the youngest of seven candidates vying for her party’s top spot. During a local stop for her campaign Friday afternoon, the leadership hopeful said the federal government is hollowing out rural and northern communities that depend on natural resource jobs.
“It’s about recognizing that this is our wealth and we should gain from that wealth,” she said during a stop at Lakehead University.
As an MP from “next door” in Northern Manitoba, Ashton said that northern issues need to be taken to the national level. She also spent time in Thunder Bay as a child while her parents finished up Masters degrees at Lakehead.
“I believe that one of the greatest challenges we face in Canada today is the growing inequality and you can see that inequality in the north and in rural areas in a big way,” she said.
Ashton also wants to involve youth in politics like her predecessor the late Jack Layton did. From a weakening pension and health care system to climate change, it’s the younger generations who need to step up most.
“If we come together and tackle some of the key challenges we face we can all be better off,” Asthon said. “As a generation we have a lot to lose if we don’t get involved.”
As for a leadership style, Ashton said she would recognize and respect that there are regional differences in Canada. The long-gun registry as an example should be up to the provinces and even municipalities to decide whether they want to use it instead of the one-size-fits-all federal system she said.
The NDP leadership vote takes place in Toronto next weekend.
