Two polls are suggesting the New Democratic Party is poised to win the next territorial election.

A DataPath Systems poll released last week indicates that of the 305 Yukoners surveyed between July 24 and Aug. 21, 43 per cent think they will be voting NDP in the next election.

In another public opinion survey conducted by a Yukon newcomer, TrendLines, indicates that the NDP holds 34 per cent of the popular vote based on the 454 individuals polled.

TrendLines also breaks down their statistics according to ridings, suggesting the NDP may be able to form a minority government in the next election with nine seats.

The breakdown also indicates the Yukon Party would currently win five seats and the Liberal Party four.

DataPath shows that support for the Yukon Party is currently at 30 per cent, and is strongest outside of Whitehorse.

Meanwhile, TrendLines found support for the Yukon Party to be 35 per cent.

Both surveys indicate that six per cent of the respondents were undecided on who they will vote for in the next election.

'Many of the issues that people want brought forward and articulated in a manner that they feel is good and respectful and to keep this government accountable, and they are now looking at the NDP by our conduct and the work that we've done as an alternative to the existing government,' said NDP Leader Todd Hardy.

He believes the current numbers suggest the NDP may be able to hold a majority in the next election. The Yukon Party won the 2002 election with 40 per cent of the vote.

However, even in a minority, the results of an election represent the wishes of the territory, Hardy said, and an NDP government would work with the opposition to the best of their ability.

'I've made it a point to have a very good relationship with both parties. I've made it a policy to treat the Yukon Party people and the Liberal people with respect.'

The support for the Liberals seems to be flagging since the spring, where a previous DataPath survey found it to be at 29 per cent. It's now down to 21 per cent, with most of the shift going toward the NDP. TrendLines' respondents, however, placed the Liberals at 29 per cent.

Arthur Mitchell has been elected as the new leader of the Liberal party since the last DataPath poll.

He told the Star he believes the Liberals' numbers will go back up after he earns a seat in the legislature and Yukoners have the opportunity to become more familiar with him as a politician.

Mitchell plans to run in the byelection that will be called in the Copperbelt riding, in the wake of Haakon Arntzen's resignation.

Mitchell ran against Arntzen in the 2002 election and lost by a six-per-cent margin.

TrendLines analyst Freddy Hutter agreed Mitchell's probable future performance in the legislature and continued work in public will have lasting impressions on Yukoners and will help them form their opinions on the Liberals' ability to form a government.

'A poor performance could enhance NDP support and push the NDP into majority domain. A reasonable performance could split the vote and give the Yukon Party the win. While a stellar job may award the Liberals another but outside chance at governing,' Hutter said.

The real message to be taken away from the DataPath poll is that 75 per cent of Yukoners do not want the government they currently have, said Mitchell.

'That sets up a very good debate for this territory between ourselves and the New Democrats,' Premier Dennis Fentie told the Star last week during an interview while he and cabinet ministers conduct a community tour.

'Who, the Yukon Party or the NDP, would be the best party to lead the territory into its future?'

'Yukoners (should) ask themselves the question, Are we better off today than we were in November of 2002 when the Yukon Party took office?' The evidence shows that yes, we are,' he said.

The DataPath poll indicates only 10 per cent of respondents currently see the economy as being in critical condition, while 16 per cent rate the Yukon's economy as being in peak condition.

Between 2002 and 2004, previous surveys found an average of approximately three per cent of respondents feeling the economy was healthy.

The economy has now fallen out of being the number one issue for Yukoners, according to the survey, with attention shifting to social issues such as environment, education, health care and substance abuse.

'As an incumbent government, I'm quite encouraged by what I see,' Fentie said. 'The fact that no longer the economy is the number one issue for Yukoners shows our plan is working.

'It shows Yukoners are concerned about the social side of the ledger, as we are as a government. We came into office with a very sharpened and heightened social conscience.

'The evidence is clear, when we've embarked on major initiatives like the Child Act Review, education reform, correction reform, a 17-per-cent increase in our education system, the creation of an individual learning centre, the increases in health care, our five-star plan to deal with FASD.

'These are all examples of that sharpened and heightened social conscience the Yukon Party government has brought to bear for this territory.'

But Hardy said the problem with the Yukon Party regime is that it often tries to separate social issues from other larger forces, including the economy, when they shouldn't be separated.

'A good economy is deeply connected to a strong social policy,' he said.

'Our goal is to recognize that we've lived through too many booms and busts, recognize that and how do we take an economy that has had the booms and busts historically and try to level that out?' he added.

'We do not believe that going after megaprojects exclusively to the determent of other activity is the best thing for the territory.'

Fentie, however, believes the Yukon Party is working along the lines of where Yukoners want to see the territory go in the future.

'Our challenge now is to build on that, to continue to improve on that to take this territory in a direction that ensures a better and brighter future for all its citizens,' he said.

The current community tour is 'a good segue into the recent poll and what we see there,' said Fentie, a former NDP MLA.

'Essentially what we're doing is conducting our own poll by engaging with the citizens of the territory in their own home communities in an informal way which allows them to talk to their government and express areas of concern,' he added.

'I think Mr. Fentie has just admitted that he's campaigning. He's using public money to campaign,' said Hardy. 'It's not his role to go around selling the Yukon Party on the public purse.'

Fentie disagreed. 'That's a ridiculous comment by the opposition parties. They have nothing to criticize us on when it comes to the economy or the social side of the ledger, so now they are coming up with this kind of nonsense.

'Frankly, we've been conducting community tours since taking office. We will continue to do so. This is important. The citizens of this territory have the right to sit down with government face-to-face and provide their thoughts, their views, represent their concerns, their issues. That's why we're doing this.

'It has nothing to do with politics or campaigning. It has everything to do with good governance.'