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In an interview with the National Post, Ashton said she’s concerned about American populist narratives spreading north, especially in the Conservative party’s leadership campaigns. Canada isn’t as different from the U.S. as people think, she said.

“In the U.S., the insecurities that come with inequality have led to the rise of people like Donald Trump, but also people like Bernie Sanders. The right is mobilizing around Trump-like messages — the O’Learys, the Leitches. What kind of vision are we putting forward?” she said.

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The 34-year-old Ashton, a self-described millennial, wants to see a resurgence in the New Democratic movement, bringing in young working-class people and activists focused on women, racialized groups and indigenous peoples. Ashton said she “grew up around activism” and wants to harness that energy, describing the party’s position as being at a “crossroads.” Her campaign slogan: “Building a movement together.”

“We’ve seen the rise of people taking political action in the last few months, particularly since Donald Trump got elected. Even here in our own country, people are getting out and participating in activities and seeing the need to fight for justice in a big way,” she said.

“We need to be reaching out and connecting with these people. … The NDP has struggled with relevancy over the last while and that’s something that we need to tackle.”

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Ashton describes the two major challenges of our time as growing inequality and climate change — the same two biggies highlighted by competitor Guy Caron, a Quebec MP and the party’s former finance critic.