Yukon Liberal Party members have a new president following their annual general meeting Saturday.

Party leader Arthur Mitchell said this morning Ranjit Pillai was elected to serve as the party's president in the coming year. Pillai replaces Ted Dean, who retired from the position this year.

Also serving on the executive for the coming year are vice-presidents Richard Johnson, secretary Rick Smith and treasurer Bruce Demchuk along with four directors.

This morning, Pillai noted that while he's essentially going from being a 'guy at the meeting' to president of the association, he wanted to take on the position and help lead the party through the 'major undertaking' that's ahead over the next few years.

'I like the look of the challenge,' he said, noting he's always had an interest in politics and believes his skill-set is suited to the job.

His priority over the next year will focus on retaining and increasing the Liberal membership in the territory, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the public voice is heard and there's a greater understanding of the issues affecting the public.

Over the next 12 months, he said, the Liberal party will have more visibility at events throughout the territory and in getting its message out.

Meanwhile, the official Opposition Liberal MLAs will continue to focus on pushing for improvements to health care, education, first nation consultation and other important issues in the territory, Mitchell said.

In his leader's address to the 30 to 40 supporters at the meeting, he raised to question of why they decided to become Liberals.

He pointed to factors such as past family generations supporting the party, believing in the words of past and present leaders of the federal party and being friends with territorial Liberals, among other factors.

'Perhaps all of those factors play a part, but I think we are Liberals because we believe the Liberal way is to look after our fellow man, and our fellow woman, because Liberals believe in every Canadian's right to reach their potential because we believe, as Pierre Trudeau believed, in a just society,' he said.

Sometimes that means taking a position on an issue because it's the right thing to do rather than the popular thing to do, he noted. He pointed to a quote by the late Martin Luther King Jr., who stated: 'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.'

In politics, Mitchell told supporters, he has to make decisions every day about things that matter, listening to a variety of views from party members to individuals.

'But in the end, the position I take, on behalf of the party, while it is guided by all the people I talk to and listen to, has to be a position I can believe in,' he said.

Mitchell went on to note it was the Liberal Party of Canada that brought in the Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

'It was the Yukon Liberal Party that has continued to be the conscience for our territory under (former MLAs) Jack Cable and Pat Duncan, and I believe, under my leadership and with our caucus,' he said.

The Liberals have stood up for better wages for child care workers, a better health care system, an education system that serves all Yukoners and a number of other positions the party has taken.

'Because we believe that social justice and economic prosperity are not opposite ends of the spectrum, but are mutually supportive and cannot truly exist for all, independent of each other,' he said.

As leader of the party, Mitchell told supporters, he will continue to speak out about the things that matter.

In addition to the election of a new executive and Mitchell's speech, party members also heard of plans for a policy conference next year focusing on how policies are established, Mitchell said.