Steve Ashton is the MLA for Thompson and a Cabinet Minister in the New Democratic Party (NDP) government in Manitoba.

Steve Ashton moved with his family to Thompson in northern Manitoba in 1967. Steve is an Economist by background.  He is a graduate of R.D. Parker Collegiate in Thompson and the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg and received his M. A. in Economics from 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.

Ashton was first elected to the Manitoba Legislature in the 1981 provincial election 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 re-elected in the 1986 election by a greater margin.

Ashton was re-elected in 1988.  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.  He served as Labour critic, Health critic and led the fight against the privatization of MTS in 1997.

When NDP formed government in October 1999, Steve 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 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.

Ashton was re-elected in the 2003 election by an overwhelming margin.  On June 25, 2003 he was made Minister of Labour and Immigration with responsibility for Multiculturalism and the administration of the Worker’s Compensation Act and in November 2003 he became the first  Minister of Water Stewardship, a department that is solely committed to water issues and the only department committed to water in Canada.  In September of 2006, Steve Ashton was appointed Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister responsible for Emergency Measures.  On November 3, 2009 Steve was appointed as Minister responsible for Emergency Measures, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation and Minister responsible for Manitoba Lotteries by Premier Greg Selinger.

In government Steve has worked to improve Manitoba’s highways and infrastructure; to improve safety through Graduated Driver’s licensing; to increase immigration, improve flood protection and emergency services and to protect Manitoba’s water and natural resources. Ashton was re-elected in the 2007 election with nearly 75% of the vote in his constituency.

Steve Ashton is also Chair of the Canadian Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles, seeking the return of the sculptures from Britain to Greece.  He speaks Greek and has written on the political culture of that nation.

His wife Hari is a college instructor.  He has two children, Niki, the Member of Parliament for Churchill, and Alexander, an instructor with the University College of the North in Thompson.

“Our goal should be nothing less than to achieve social and economic justice for all”

– Steve Ashton.