The latest entrant into the race to become the Yukon's next MP decried the current Member of Parliament for not being a man of his word.

In his speech Sunday before the vote for the Conservative party's nomination in the Yukon, James Hartle went after Liberal MP Larry Bagnell.

Hartle said Bagnell had pledged to oppose the gun registry.

But in March 2003, MPs had to vote on whether to put another $60 million into the controversial gun registry.

Bagnell was told if he voted against it he would be turfed from the Liberal caucus.

Instead, the MP missed the vote because he did not want to vote for it and did not want to be kicked out because he said it would hurt the Yukon.

Hartle slammed Bagnell for missing the vote, stating that his absence was not a sign of a man who keeps his word.

The first Yukon candidate for the new Conservative Party of Canada also blasted the Liberal MP for not speaking out against the sponsorship scandal. Hartle does not believe, and said Yukoners feel the same, that Prime Minister Paul Martin knew nothing about the misuse of government money.

Hartle defeated Whitehorse security guard Don McKenzie for the nomination Sunday.

Officials would not release the final tally of the vote, except to say there were about 100 votes cast.

McKenzie confirmed this morning the decision to not release the vote totals was made by himself and Hartle.

McKenzie praised the victor right after the result was announced.

'I think we have ourselves a wonderful candidate,' McKenzie told the approximately 15 people gathered to hear the results.

Today, McKenzie said he realized in listening to Hartle speak Sunday that the truck driver from Watson Lake was the best choice for the Conservatives.

'I decided myself at this time he was the better candidate,' said McKenzie. 'I think the people of the party did the right thing in voting for James.'

Hartle is a 45-year-old Saskatchewan native who's lived in the Yukon for the past 13 years. He said after winning the nomination that his major issue is trying to get the territory's economy moving.

The biggest item for Hartle is to get the Canadian government to join the United States in a joint study of building a railway through Alaska and the Yukon to link up with other lines in southern Canada.

The United States first agreed to do such a study in December 2000. The Canadian government has yet to respond to those overtures.

However just before the election, Transport Minister Tony Valeri indicated he wants Canada to inform Washington it's interested in looking at studying the proposal.

Hartle believes Bagnell let the Yukon down on this issue.

'Mr. Bagnell has not fought for Yukon's best interests over the last three years. If he had, we would be pounding spikes today,' he said.

'If he was really active we would have more concrete discussions on the rail line.'

Hartle also wants to get more money for the Yukon College so it can go back to its original intention as a vocational school teaching industrial trades. He also wants to see students learn medical sciences at the college.

As for the controversial gun registry, Hartle would rather see harsher sentences for violent criminal offenders.

Hartle also believes that more money needs to be put into Canada's military, which he called 'underfunded', because he believes there will be terrorism on Canadian soil.

One of the things Bagnell has said is that Yukon should have an MP in the government caucus.

Hartle agrees.

He believes Conservative Leader Stephen Harper will be the next prime minister, so he thinks people should elect him to go to Ottawa.

'It's for the betterment of Yukon to have a member in (the) Conservative caucus,' said Hartle.

While he is from Watson Lake, Hartle said he will set up base in Whitehorse. While his campaign has started later than the other candidates, he will try to get to as much of the Yukon as he can during the campaign.