Yukon Party sets date for leadership election in May - Action News
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Yukon Party sets date for leadership election in May

The Yukon Party will elect its next leader on May 23, 2020. MLA Stacey Hassard has been the party's interim leader since the 2016 election.

Party has been without a permanent leader since its ouster in 2016 election

Yukon Party MLA Stacey Hassard has been interim leader of his party since the last territorial election in 2016. (Claudiane Samson/Radio-Canada)

The opposition Yukon Party has set a date for theelection of a new party leader May 23, 2020.

That will be more than threeand a half years since the party's last permanent leader former premier Darrell Pasloski stepped down. MLA Stacey Hassard has served as interim party leader since then.

Pasloski announced his resignation on election night, Nov. 7, 2016, after his party was ousted by Sandy Silver's Liberals and he lost his own seat in the Mountainview riding. Pasloski had led the party since 2011, when he succeeded former premier Dennis Fentie.

Yukon Party president Mark Beese said that since the 2016 election, there's been no big rush to install a permanent leader.

"The MLAs in place now have been doing a great job and our membership was comfortable in waiting until it was closer tothe next election," Beesesaid.

Former premier Darrell Pasloski announced his resignation after the Yukon Party lost the 2016 election, and he lost his seat in Mountainview. (David Croft/CBC)

The Liberals have another two years to call the next election.

Beese said the party's leadership election committee is still finalizing the rules for the leadership race, and deciding where it will happen.

He wouldn't speculate on possible contenders.

"The rumour mill is strong out there. I've heard all kinds of really great names, which is really exciting," he said.

"Obviously it's our intention that this decision of who is going to be the leader of the party is going to be the premier after the next election."

The Yukon Party's 2016 campaign chair Currie Dixon, centre, and the party's chief of staff, Ted Laking, on election night 2016. (CBC)

With files from Jane Sponagle