Latest news with #YukonPolitics
CBC
27-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Whitehorse businessman Mike Pemberton joins race to lead Yukon Liberals
Yukon Liberals will get a chance to vote for their new leader this time. Businessman Mike Pemberton launched his campaign for the Liberal leadership in Whitehorse Tuesday, promising action on affordability, housing, health care and public safety. His candidacy means the first contested leadership race for the Liberals in two decades. "I have immense respect for all citizens of Yukon," he said. "I want to be part of a solution and and not part of a problem. I want to be able to help." Pemberton is the former owner of a furniture store in downtown Whitehorse. He's served on the Whitehorse and Yukon chambers of commerce, the Yukon Development Corporation and the board of Yukon Energy. He said that experience makes him a "right of centre" candidate who will seek to ease environmental regulations and make things easier on the private sector. "I want to see how we can work through that to make that easier for those corporations, those medium and those small businesses, how we can work with them to make things better and they can become more profitable because profit is not a dirty word," Pemberton said. "Profit makes the world go round." The deadline for leadership candidate nominations is May 29. Each candidate will have to pay a non-refundable nomination fee of $7,000 to the Yukon Liberal Party. The Liberal leadership convention will take place in Whitehorse June 19. Former Kwanlin Dün First Nation Chief Doris Bill has already announced her candidacy for the party leadership. That means Liberals will vote for their leader for the first time since 2005, when Arthur Mitchell defeated former premier Pat Duncan. Current leader Ranj Pillai and former leader Sandy Silver were both acclaimed.
CBC
11-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Yukon's premier on the future of the North and stepping down
Chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton speaks with Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai about his decision to step down, strengthening Arctic security and what he would like to see from the prime minister's new cabinet.
CBC
09-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Cabinet minister reacts to Yukon premier's resignation
A surprise, but not really a surprise — that's Minister John Streicker's reaction to news Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai plans to step down. Pillai made the announcement Wednesday.
CBC
07-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai announces resignation
In a surprise move Wednesday, Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai announced he's stepping down. Pillai told reporters he plans to stay on until a new leader is selected. He said he plans to focus on improvements to health care and the threat posed by U.S. tariffs for the rest of his term. The territory is headed for an election this fall. Under the Yukon's fixed election date law, the vote must take place no later than Nov. 3. Pillai has served as premier since January 2023. He ran unopposed for the Liberal leadership after former premier Sandy Silver resigned. He's also faced nonstop calls from the opposition Yukon Party to call an election since he took power. Pillai is also the minister responsible for housing, economic development, Indigenous and intergovernmental affairs. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2016 when the Liberals swept to power, ending 14 years of Yukon Party rule. Under Silver's premiership, Pillai served as the minister of economic development, energy mines and resources and tourism and culture.
