Darrell Pasloski has yet to be sworn in as premier, but Yukon Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell is already asking him to get to work.

Mitchell sent the premier-designate a letter with three "respectful requests” on Monday, saying Pasloski made a lot of promises around being open and collaborative in his bid to become the Yukon Party's new leader.

"Yukoners deserve regular updates before the election on what their government is up to,” Mitchell told a press conference on Monday.

Mitchell's first request is for a current report on the territory's finances.

That would include any savings accounts and information on how much the territory has borrowed, including through Crown corporations, for such purposes as new rural hospitals and electrical generation infrastructure.

"We think this is something that should be done on a regular basis, but certainly, we think it's time to do this now,” Mitchell said.

He also wants four contracts signed by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources in the summer of 2009 regarding energy rationalization to be released.

"The contracts exist,” said Mitchell. "The government simply refused to release them. We have to ask why.

"The premier (Dennis Fentie) said they don't show anything. Well, if they didn't show anything, he would have released them long ago.”

Pasloski has no seat in the Yukon Legislative Assembly.

Mitchell's third request, however, is that Pasloski reconvene the House for a special session in June to debate how to use the more than $17.5 million in the Northern Housing Trust.

"It is absolutely atrocious that this money has been sitting in the bank accounts for five years and not one penny has been forward towards any of the many affordable housing projects that people have advocated for,” he said.

Addressing these requests would show that Pasloski is serious about leading a more transparent government, said Mitchell.

"If they want to convince Yukoners that there's going to be meaningful change, then the talk has to stop and the actions have to start.

"Consulting with the Opposition would be a really good start. Doing it in the legislative assembly where all Yukoners can see it being done would be a better start.”

But Yukon NDP Leader Liz Hanson believes Mitchell's requests are nothing more than political posturing.

"I'm not into baiting the Yukon Party or anybody else,” she told the Star Monday. "I want to talk about the issues people are concerned about and what are some proposals that we can put forward.”

Recommendations and reports for how to spend the money in the Northern Housing Trust already exist, said Hanson, so reconvening the legislature would be a fruitless endeavour.

"Ultimately, the decision is going to be made by the premier and the cabinet,” she said. "I just don't think there's need for more studies and debate on it. Let's just get on it.”

Hanson said she doesn't have any requests for Pasloski.

"We're in a pre-election period and I think we need to be focusing on clear choices,” she said.

"It's not about the promises, more promises, the Yukon Party's going to make to the electorate. We've heard lots of those. And what I've heard from people is that they're looking to see a change.

"He knows — or he should know if he's been paying attention at all — the serious issues that we've been raising.”

Swaying the ruling party's policies isn't something Hanson is interested in either.

"I'm not trying to influence the Yukon Party at this stage; I'm trying to replace them,” she said.

Both Hanson and Mitchell said that Pasloski's leadership convention win last Saturday sticks with the Yukon Party's right-wing mandate.

"His election does set up a very clear three-way race,” said Mitchell.

"We have a party that's on the right … we have a party that's pretty far left, and we have a party that's in the centre, which is the Yukon Liberal Party.

"To those who supported Mr. (Rod) Taylor, there is a home for moderates in the centre who have a strong belief in a vibrant, business-focused economy that's also inclusive of all Yukoners, and that's the Yukon Liberal Party.

"And we would always welcome them and any other people that find that they're not on the extreme left or right but want to be in the centre.”

There were probably quite a few people who woke up feeling disaffected on Sunday morning, Hanson said.

"They may have realized that you can change the paint job but you've got the same car,” she said.

Pasloski said this morning he couldn't specifically comment on Mitchell's requests at the moment as he's busy with the transition of power.

However, the 50-year-old pharmacist said he will keep the requests in mind as he gets up to speed on the various issues.

He's expected to be sworn into office sometime during the first half of June.

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