'I can be a real pain,' Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor says of her efforts to keep the concerns of her constituents on the table.

Taylor was acclaimed Tuesday night as the Yukon Party's candidate for the riding of Whitehorse West for the pending territorial election.

'Elaine is an exceptional advocate for the Whitehorse West constituency and all citizens of the territory,' says Premier Dennis Fentie. He must drop the writ by November.

Approximately 35 supporters came out to Taylor's nomination meeting at Elijah Smith Elementary School.

When the Yukon Party came to office in 2002, the main concern was curbing the exodus of Yukoners from the territory and providing something for residents' children to come back to, she says.

Now, more people are coming back, the economy has been diversified and many are choosing to raise their families here, she says.

'There's a lot to look forward to.'

Though Taylor ran in the riding in 2000, she was first elected in the 2002 election.

She beat out Liberal incumbent Dennis Schneider with 48 per cent of the vote. The riding was won by 79 ballots.

Prior to entering the house, Taylor worked as the executive assistant to government leader John Ostashek and has also been a constituency caseworker for the Yukon Party.

Her past volunteer activities include Food for Learning, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Humane Society Yukon.

Beyond her work as an MLA, the Minister of Tourism, the Minister responsible for the Public Service Commission, the Minister responsible for the Women's Directorate and the deputy premier, Taylor is also a mom to her year-old son, Will.

She says motherhood has provided her with important insights while serving in government.

'It's not often that we have young families while serving a public office,' she says. 'At the government table, you need those different perspectives.

'Having a young guy, like Will, has grounded me even more. It has been able to provide those perspectives that I didn't necessarily have before.'

She has become more attuned to the needs of parents and families both in her riding and the Yukon, she says.

If re-elected, Taylor says, the building of a children's park on Lazulite Drive, making child care more affordable and accessible and the working toward the building of a new school in the Copper Ridge area will be personal priorities.

The extension of Hamilton Boulevard is also a constituency-based concern, she says, and one she hopes to have revolved in the next mandate.

The last territorial election was all about the economy, says Taylor, but she expects this one to be more about the social side of the ledger.

Crime, the Safer Communities legislation, the Substance Abuse Action Plan, health care and doctor shortages are all likely to be brought up, she says.

But the Yukon's economy will also likely be paramount, she adds.

'It's also about continuing and sustaining the economic growth of the territory; keeping that good thing going, continuing to diversify the economy.'

The Yukon's economy isn't just based around mining and tourism any more, she says.

'Whenever you get growth in an economy, you've also got pressures that you've got to deal with,' Taylor says. The challenges of dealing with labour shortages, traffic increases and health care demands are all something the Yukon Party is prepared to deal with.

Taylor says she has striven to give '101 per cent' to her constituents and bringing their concerns to the legislature with integrity and honest.

She says she's learned a lot over the last 3 1/2 years in office and now knows how to access the government's programs and services and bring together stakeholders.

She hopes Yukoners will send her and the Yukon Party back to the house, but she says she doesn't take anything for granted.

'I'm a realist and I always go into these things as though I am dead last.'