NDP leadership candidate Niki Ashton says her campaign is responsible for pulling her rivals in a more “progressive direction.”

Ashton said that early on in the campaign, some of her policy ideas – her plan to offer free tuition for post-secondary education, for example, or her plan to axe the controversial practice of ‘carding’ by RCMP – were criticized or called unrealistic.

But she suggested her ideas are actually forcing other candidates to follow her lead.

“It’s appeared we’ve actually pulled the candidates in a more progressive direction on this and other issues,” said Ashton, pointing to her early campaign position against new pipelines. “Not everybody was on that page. Others have since moved their position,” she said.

Who’s moved? According to Ashton, rival candidate Ontario MPP Jagmeet Singh. She said she’s also pushed her rival candidates to commit to free tuition.

“I pushed back on a couple of my colleagues who weren’t very clear on the need for free tuition as an immediate sort of commitment to take on, that’s been in the debates,” said Ashton, who represents the northern Manitoba riding Churchill–Keewatinook Aski.

In addition to Singh, Ashton is running against NDP MPs Charlie Angus and Guy Caron.

Ashton spoke to iPolitics over dinner with her fiancé, Bruce Moncur, at Smoque Shack in Ottawa — the scene of their first date. They reminisced about the time they first met – at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport almost two years ago. Ashton and Moncur were both heading to Ottawa; Moncur, who’s been involved with the NDP for several years, recognized Ashton and introduced himself.

“We kept in touch, we went on a date here …” said Ashton, “We talked for quite some time.”

Fast-forward two years and the pair is expecting their first baby in November – about one month after the new leader will be chosen.

Ashton said she hasn’t yet discussed publicly when she plans to take time off to have her baby, pointing out that members of Parliament don’t get maternity leave – something she suggested may have to change in order to encourage more women with families to get involved in politics.

Moncur said that if Ashton becomes leader, he’s “fully committed” to being a stay at home dad.

“Her role that she’s embarking on is important and we’ll both be loving parents but I’m in a fortuitous situation where I am able to stay home and yeah, I mean this is her and all about her. She is so dynamic and so amazing and obviously I’m biased but I truly support her,” he said.

For her part, Ashton said it’s been interesting to observe the media’s coverage of her pregnancy. She said a friend of hers pointed out that a Google search of Ashton’s name yields more stories about her pregnancy than about her policy ideas or her campaign.

“Is it news? It is, but that’s obviously not what defines me, and certainly is not what’s defining this race,” said Ashton.

Ashton talks a lot about creating a “movement” on the campaign trail, about bringing together social movements and activists to work for the party going forward, regardless of who wins.

“I’ve always believed political change comes from the ground up, and that’s why I got involved. I grew up around politics, my dad was very involved in student politics … he got elected off the picket line. My mom was very involved in feminist politics, and I see activism and social movements as key drivers of political change.”

Ashton said the NDP has a history of joining and working alongside movements – whether on social justice issues, environmental justice or the labour movement. She said she feels that in recent years the party has “distanced” itself from some of that activism.

“I believe we need to reconnect with activists, with social movements, with whom we share so much in common.”

She said millennials know how to fight for what they believe in, pointing to climate change activism, solidarity movements, feminist activism and Black Lives Matter as examples.

“It’s clear to me that we need to be learning from the kind of work people are doing, the priorities they’re pushing for and it should be also inspiring the work we do, directing the work we do. Ultimately, I believe if we work together on shared priorities that we can achieve the kind of change that we want to in terms of the priorities we’re putting forward.”

While Ashton said in recent years the party distanced itself from grassroots activism, she’s not ready to put the blame on NDP Leader Tom Mulcair.

“I believe it was an evolution and I certainly wouldn’t pin it on one person. I believe a culture emerged,” she said, “I mean, yes, we won Official Opposition, yes the goal was to win government but along the way I believe we distanced ourselves from what we really believe in and a lot of the people that helped us get where we were for the issues that matter to them.”

Ashton said as a result of growing inequality in Canada and the threat of climate change, more individuals are mobilizing around key issues and “fighting for justice in their communities in a way we haven’t seen for awhile.”

“I believe we can’t risk just sort of sitting in Parliament and talking about the issues within those four walls. We have to get out there and connect with community, connect with activists, and get direction from them as well on the key issues we’re facing.”