OTTAWA (CUP) – At 27, Niki Ashton is the youngest female Member of Parliament sitting in Canada’s House of Commons. The post-secondary education and youth critic for the NDP first ran for federal politics in 2006, but won a seat in October 2008 when she garnered 47 per cent of the vote to beat Liberal incumbent Tina Keeper.

What motivated her to run in the first place, at the young age of 24?

“Outrage,” she laughed. “And really, the concept of justice.”

Ashton was initially hoping for a career in international relations and development, but realized her concern over issues Canadians were facing at home.

“I come from a part of Canada – well, much like a lot of Canada – whose story is never in the mainstream. I come from a mining community surrounded by First Nations (communities). Some of them have the highest rates of poverty in Canada, third-world living conditions.”

Ashton represents the northern Manitoba riding of Churchill, which covers almost two thirds of the province’s area. Just over 75,000 people live in the riding, which, she explained, includes a large youth population.

Taking into account her constituents, her caucus critic portfolio, and her own age, Ashton considers herself to be one of the few voices actively shedding light on youth issues in Parliament.

“In the House of Commons, I find that the experience of young people in general is never heard.”

Youth have, however, been involved in several demonstrations against the federal government that have taken place on Parliament Hill in the last few months, including the October 2009 flash mob protest during question period, and a sit-in at the environment committee two months later.

When asked if these were effective ways to get messages across to politicians, Ashton offered a diplomatic answer.

“As young people, we have the benefit of seeing the world a bit differently.

“As a result of seeing it differently, I think the logical connection is that we also act differently ... I think, though, we need to express that not just through different forms, but also through participating in the mainstream electoral system.”

Ashton conceded that more needs to be done to engage youth in the decisions that are made on Parliament Hill in order to provoke them to head to the polls.

“A lot of young people say, ‘What’s the point?’ and I see that frustration when I sit in the House and issue after issue, never hear what its impact is on young people, never hear the story of the next generation.”

This, she said, leads to the creation of policy that doesn’t reflect the needs of young people.

“I think we need to recognize that the decisions are going to keep getting made. They’re just going to be made by somebody else who’s not you, so you need to take part – but we need to take part in a way that says we want to be heard.”

Reflecting on her own foray into federal politics, Ashton suggested that the best way to witness change is to run for office and help create it yourself.

“Politics needs people from every direction. Women that have stayed home raising families, people that have worked in industrial jobs, people that have worked in the service sector, new immigrants, Aboriginal people – we need everybody.”