Steve Ashton

Steven John Ashton (born February 29, 1956) is a British-born Canadian politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a long-serving member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, and was a long-time cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party governments led by premiers Gary Doer and Greg Selinger. He resigned from cabinet on December 22, 2014 to challenge Selinger for the leadership of the party. Ashton was eliminated from the race, after finishing last on the first ballot at the 2015 NDP leadership convention. Selinger was re-elected party leader on the second ballot. In 2017, Ashton ran for Manitoba NDP leader, losing to Wab Kinew, who became premier in 2023.

Early life

Ashton was born in Surrey, England, the son of John Stewart Ashton and Nedra May Childs. His father was born in Wales. He moved with his family, including his brothers Martin and Alan, to Thompson, in northern Manitoba, at age eleven. He was educated at R. D. Parker Collegiate in that community, the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He was President of the University of Manitoba Students' Union in 1978–79 and has lectured in Economics for the former Inter Universities North in Thompson and Cross Lake.

Political career

Ashton was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1981 provincial election, defeating Progressive Conservative incumbent Ken MacMaster by 72 votes in the constituency of Thompson. At the time of his first election, Ashton was involved in an INCO strike in the Thompson area as a member of the United Steelworkers of America; he was also the second youngest person ever elected to the Manitoba legislature at the time. He was re-elected in the 1986 election by a greater margin. Ashton did not serve in the cabinet of Howard Pawley.

The NDP were defeated in the provincial election of 1988, although Ashton won his own riding by a comfortable margin. He would later serve as House Leader for the NDP in opposition, and was easily re-elected in the provincial elections of 1990, 1995 and 1999. In 1995, he supported Lorne Nystrom's bid to lead the federal New Democratic Party.

Cabinet

When NDP leader Gary Doer became Premier of Manitoba in October 1999, Ashton was appointed Minister of Highways and Government Services. On July 4, 2000, he was charged with administration of the Gaming Control Act; his ministry was renamed as Transportation and Government Services on January 17, 2001. Following a cabinet shuffle on September 25, 2002, Ashton became Minister of Conservation (in which capacity he argued for national approval of the Kyoto Accord on climate change). On June 25, 2003, he was also made Minister of Labour and Immigration with responsibility for Multiculturalism and administration of the Worker's Compensation Act.

In 2003, Ashton supported Bill Blaikie's campaign to become leader of the federal NDP.

Ashton was re-elected in the 2003 election with over 82% of the vote in his constituency. On November 4, 2003, he was named as the minister in charge of Manitoba Water Stewardship, a department created after highly publicized water contamination tragedies in Walkerton, Ontario and North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

Ashton was re-elected in the 2007 provincial election and in September 2007 he was appointed Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister responsible for the Emergency Measures Organization.

On September 4, 2009, Ashton announced his candidacy to succeed Gary Doer as leader of the Manitoba NDP in the 2009 leadership election and ran on a platform advocating the party's return to its social justice and labour roots. Ashton placed second behind Greg Selinger with 34.2% of the vote.

Upon Greg Selinger's election as premier, Ashton was made Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, with the added responsibilities of Emergency Measures and the administration of the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation Act. He also became the lead minister for Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure programs.

Ashton resigned from cabinet on December 22, 2014 to challenge Selinger in the 2015 Manitoba NDP leadership election, at which he was unsuccessful.

He returned to cabinet in April 2015 as Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation and Minister responsible for emergency measures.

After thirty-four and a half years as an MLA, Ashton lost his seat to Progressive Conservative candidate Kelly Bindle in the April 19, 2016, provincial election.

In 2017, Ashton ran for Manitoba NDP leader, losing to Wab Kinew.

Personal life

In 1979, Ashton married Hariklia "Hari" Dimitrakopoulou; they have two children. His daughter, Niki, is also a politician and served as the federal NDP Member of Parliament for the riding of Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, while his son Alexander was elected chairman of the board of trustees for the School District of Mystery Lake. Ashton is also Secretary of the Canadian Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles, seeking the return of the treasured sculptures from Britain to Greece. He speaks Greek, and has written on the political culture of that nation.

Electoral results

2017 leadership convention

2015 leadership convention

First ballot

Ashton eliminated. Releases his delegates, did not publicly endorse another candidate

2009 leadership convention

Provincial results

External links