Kate White, the newly-minted Yukon NDP leader, believes her party has nothing to lose ahead of the next election, with hopes of propelling her currently small but mighty group to leadership in the coming years.

White was officially acclaimed as leader on Saturday afternoon.

She has taken over the reins from Liz Hanson, who in 2018 confirmed she’d be stepping down after nearly a decade at the helm.

“It feels exciting and a little bit daunting – I take the responsibility really seriously,” White told the Star this morning.

“Let’s be honest: as leader of a political party, it means in the next election (expected in 2021), I’m running to be premier.

“I said Saturday I’m an expert in opposition, and I’ve had enough,” she added.

White was first elected to represent Takhini Kopper-King in 2011.

With eight years now under her belt, she has grown more comfortable in the role of MLA and Hanson’s seat-mate.

She and Hanson are the only New Democrats in the House, making them the third party.

The Yukon Party is currently the official Opposition with six seats, while the governing Liberals are in power under Premier Sandy Silver with 11.

White pointed out that Silver himself went from the sole Liberal in the third party to governing the territory in the 2016 election. She suspects the idea of a similar fate for her is not outside the realm of possibility.

“We’ve got nothing to lose; we’re going to put it all out there – every hope and dream we have as New Democrats,” she said.

Among those hopes is to make the territory less dependent on the federal government for things like revenue and action on climate change.

“I’m well-known for communicating with exclamation points,” said the politician, who is now in her 40s.

She added she hopes that enthusiasm will translate into more diversity within the party too.

In the near future, she hopes to take a page out of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation’s book when it formally declares a climate change emergency later this month.

“I want to take that message throughout the territory,” White said, likening the Ottawa-imposed carbon tax to a “bare minimum” action on this front.

YG has vowed to return all revenue collected through that price on pollution via rebates. That’s something, White said, falls short of leadership, as that money should be invested directly back into renewable energy generation and sources.

The structure does allow for things like tax credits for businesses that are to encourage investments in clean energy generation and energy conservation equipment.

Silver has also said in the past that “as opposed to us taking that money and putting it towards something (like retrofits), who better to decide how to spend that money to make their houses more efficient than Yukoners themselves?”

With the tax to hit the territory in July at $20 a tonne, White added there is more urgent action needed.

As for long-term goals, the new leader added electoral reform will also be top of mind for the party moving into 2020.

“I got to work under someone whose leadership showed me what I hope to do,” White said of Hanson.

The latter, who will stay on as Whitehorse Centre’s MLA, was given tributes by various NDP members during Saturday’s gathering at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre.

Among those who were on hand or paid tribute to Hanson on Saturday were former NDP MLAs who were defeated in the 2016 election, including Kevin Barr and Jan Stick – who is now a city councillor.

“She (Hanson) was able to take a group of people that had experience – most of us didn’t – and able to show us our strengths,” White added this morning.

“They’re big shoes to fill but I’m lucky because she’s still next-door and incredibly supportive – so I’ll have her to lean on.”

White was acclaimed the leader after no one emerged to challenge her, the party confirmed late last month.

The party has been led in the past by Tony Penikett and Piers McDonald, who both led governments, and the late Todd Hardy, who passed in 2010.

The NDP last won an election in 1996, defeating a one-term Yukon Party government led by the late John Ostashek.

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