Yukon Liberals mull post-election future

The Yukon Liberal Party is contemplating its future after being walloped at the polls in last week's election.

The party dropped from five to two seats, ceding its status as official opposition to the New Democratic Party.

Leader Arthur Mitchell stepped down Tuesday night following the results. Helost his Copperbelt North seattothe Yukon Party's26-year-old novice, Currie Dixon.

Mitchell says the party knew its situation was precarious, but says it never occurred to him that weak leadership might have been part of the problem.

"I felt that I had the tools to lead the party. I didn't think there was another leader waiting in the wings that was ready to lead."

Party strategist Jason Cunning says every other party knows what the bottom of the barrel feels like.

"I think over the last 20 years people have watched the fortunes of all three parties ebb and flow," said Cunning. "The Yukon Party was dead in the water in 2000, the NDP weren't looking very good for the last five or six years so I think we still offer something, that balance that other parties don't that Yukoners will hopefully return to."

Cunning says the Liberals were in a tight spot: wedged between a centrist Yukon Party and an invigorated NDP.

'I felt that I had the tools to lead the party. I didn't think there was another leader waiting in the wings that was ready to lead.' Arthur Mitchell, former Yukon Liberal Party leader

"I think that the strength of the NDP federally became an issue for us and we knew that in the spring, we were hoping against hope that the territorial election would occur first and after we saw the rise of Jack Layton, we knew that would be a problem for us this fall."

One of the first things on the partys agenda, after packing up its offices, is finding a new leader. The party will appoint an interim leader soon. Cunning says theyll explore leadership further at the partys annual meeting in November. He adds its possible either of the two remaining Liberal MLAs could get the job.