She may be one of the youngest woman in parliament and she's not the newest but Niki Ashton's message is all about "NEW Politics" .. from reaching out to young people, to what she calls bold ideas on health, justice and rural communities.

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Part Two of The Current

NDP Leadership Contender: Niki Ashton

She calls herself the only rural MP from the prairies who is not a Conservative. Niki Ashton is the MP for the riding of Churchill in Manitoba and at 29, she's the youngest person to seek the leadership of the NDP. She won her first federal election in 2008 and she is interested in both Global Solidarity and Regional Autonomy on some issues.

Although she is perceived as an under funded underdog, she caught the attention of a few people who attended Sunday's NDP leadership debate in Montreal. We aired a clip.

Niki Ashton grew up in Thompson, Manitoba, in a political family. She studied political economy and international affairs at university and worked abroad. Before getting into politics, she was working as an instructor with University College of the North. Today Niki Ashton was in Ottawa.

To listen to other running NDP leader candidates we have interviewed, click here.

This segment was produced by The Current's Kristin Nelson.

Related Links:

• Mulcair tops NDP in fundraising By: Tobi Cohen - Postmedia News
• Ashton big on ideas, not cash for campaign By: Mia Rabson - Winnipeg Free Press
• NDP's Ashton says out with the old, in with 'new politics' By: Meagan Fitzpatrick - CBC News

Other segments from today's show:

• Mothers of Fukushima against nuclear power
• The Winter that Wasn't: Bird Migration