Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Jan 23/06) - For 34 years, Barry Ashton has lived in Hay River. And that seems to suit the Conservative Party supporter just fine.

"Hay River is pretty conservative," he says, noting the town has many small businesses, while the economies of many other NWT communities are dominated by government.

Barry Ashton of Hay River will be out of town for the federal election, but will vote with a mail-in ballot for Conservative candidate Richard Edjericon. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

However, Ashton, 59, recalls when he was a Liberal in his teenage years growing up in Moose Jaw, Sask.

"I didn't change my political views," he says. "The parties kept moving to the left."

In fact, when he first came to Hay River, he was the official agent for a Liberal federal candidate, who was a friend of his.

After the election, Ashton received a personally-signed letter from Pierre Trudeau thanking him for his services. However, the letter was addressed to Baron J. Asletow.

"That's probably when I quit the Liberals," Ashton says with a laugh.

Ashton does not support big government. "Big government creates nothing. All they do is regulate."

The Conservative Party offers the best opportunity for economic growth so people can improve their position in life, he says. "They're the only party that has a platform that best represents my value system with regards to integrity, responsibility and freedom, and particularly accountability."

For example, he says he should be responsible for his own health care, not government.

Ashton says he is to a certain extent conservative by nature.

"Good moral values don't change," he says. "Only people change."

Ashton, a member if the Hay River Baptist Church, says his religion is not an important part of his politics. "My Christianity creates the desire in me to be involved and to be responsible for my government."

The certified chartered accountant retired two years ago from a firm he started in 1971.

As an accountant, Ashton gives credit to the Liberals for the surpluses of recent years.

However, the Liberals were lucky to be in power during good economic times, says the former president of the NWT Chamber of Commerce. "It was good, but how much better could it have been?"