Poll testing waters for Phelps’ return

Results from a DataPath Systems poll to be released later this week could set the stage for former Yukon government leader Willard Phelps to take another run at territorial politics.

Last June, Phelps made news when he and three directors of the Yukon Energy Corp. resigned in protest over Premier Dennis Fentie’s designs to privatize the public utility.

While Fentie denied allegations he orchestrated secret negotiations to merge energy corporation assets with Calgary-based ATCO’s subsidiary Yukon Electrical Co. Ltd., Phelps released a government-produced “joint position paper” that suggested otherwise.

Confirmation of the back room deal-making would surface in late August, following the high-profile resignation by cabinet minister Brad Cathers. He said Fentie lied to his cabinet and the public about first attempting to sell, then engaging in privatization talks with ATCO.

According to DataPath pollster Donna Larsen, in addition to questioning Yukoners about their political preferences – part of the Yukon research company’s own quarterly poll – the survey also includes questions about Phelps.

“Is there an awareness of who (Phelps) is? Do those who know him agree with his actions if they were aware of them? And, if he were running as an independent ... how he rated against the other leaders,” Larsen told the Star of the nature of the questions.

As word of the poll fuels speculation on Phelps’ return to politics, on Friday, the former Progressive Conservative and Yukon Party MLA, government leader and cabinet minister was saying little.

“I’ll be speaking to that in full once we know the results,” Phelps said last week of the survey. “No, I didn’t (initiate the poll); some of my friends did.”

As Phelps remains tightlipped, another member of the old political guard, former Liberal MLA and cabinet minister Don Roberts, offered some behind-the-scenes insight, and appears to be aligning himself with Phelps.

On Friday afternoon, Roberts told the Star that Phelps is not only considering a political return, but one with the goal of getting rid of party politics in the territory altogether.

“I’m not in the group that’s doing the DataPath thing, but I’ve been made privy to what’s happening,” he said.

With little more than 30,000 people in the territory, the government need not be run like a provincial legislature but in a manner akin to a city council, said Roberts.

“I believe a city council model is one that looks after the needs of the community. It opens dialogue to the whole of the community ... you cannot hide in the corner office,” said Roberts.

He cited Cathers’ resignation and independent MLA John Edzerza running back to the Yukon Party fold as a grim reminder of how territorial politics have been poisoned by partisanship.

“If I hadn’t tried party politics, I would probably say there’s no other way. But I have and there is.”

In 2002, then-premier Pat Duncan tossed Roberts and two other Liberal MLAs from the ruling party’s caucus for what Roberts described as “challenging” Duncan’s authoritarian rule.

Seven years later, not only would Roberts consider running with Phelps under a platform of non-partisan political reform, but he believes Phelps, who ironically helped introduce party politics to the Yukon in the late 1970s, is the right man to show it the door.

“To me, it’s Willard. You can’t just do it with somebody off the street. You need somebody who’s been there and knows the system,” Roberts said. “And no doubt, the parties will pooh, pooh it.”

When Cathers resigned from the Yukon Party caucus, reducing it to minority government status, he remained hopeful other members would follow. Instead, they closed ranks around the premier, and Edzerza’s decision last week to sit as a Yukon Party backbencher returned Fentie’s regime to a majority government.

Cathers said this afternoon he turned down Phelps’ overtures to join a new political movement.

“I did have a conversation with Willard and he floated his idea to me and I made it clear that I respect the intent behind that, but I remain committed to the Yukon Party,” Cathers said, hinting Fentie could be ousted at the party’s annual spring leadership review.

“There are very strong divisions in the party and long-term members feel there needs to be a change in leadership.”

Like Roberts predicted, Cathers is skeptical about any attempts to overhaul current party politics via an independent slate of MLA-hopefulls.

“I don’t think any party that starts out with the intention of being non-partisan or independent can avoid becoming another ordinary party,” predicted Cathers.

“Those who are advocating it believe that it would be a new type of politics, but I think that would last a few months and it would eventually turn into just another partisan stripe.”