No need for a general election to back his mandate; new Premier Ranj Pillai says he’s focused on stability and continuing the work already underway as he becomes the new leader of his party and the territory.

Pillai spoke with the Star this morning to discuss his new position.

“I’m humbled by the opportunity to take on the role, but also, there’s some nerves,” said Pillai, who’s been MLA for Porter Creek South since 2016.

“This role is about fiercely defending the priorities of Yukoners.”

FOCUS AS PREMIER

Pillai said reconciliation and balancing the environment with the economy are high on his agenda.

“I’m going to continue to focus on a lot of the work that we have been doing over the last six years,” he said.

The Liberal party has been in power since winning a majority in 2016, under Sandy Silver’s leadership.

Pillai said he’ll continue the work started under Silver on housing, health care and education.

“Those are three key areas that we need to continue to work on and to improve,” he said.

Health care and affordable housing have become major concerns for Yukoners in recent years as labour shortages, inflation and pandemic-related backlogs have made it harder for Yukoners to access both.

The Department of Education, meanwhile, is dealing with the aftermath of two abuse scandals at different Whitehorse schools, where student safety and open government communication have become key issues.

During his six-week campaign, and in the week following his Jan. 7 acclamation, Pillai didn’t speak publicly about his policy plans nor leadership priorities.

He briefly addressed some issues in a speech at his swearing-in ceremony Saturday, but today was his first day speaking with media about how he wants to lead the territory.

Although he hopes to continue the work started under Silver, Pillai said his leadership style will differ.

He said the cabinet leaned on Silver when the party formed a government in 2016, as Silver had more experience in the legislature than most of his caucus, leading a party with only two seats, then one.

Pillai said he will do the reverse, leaning on his ministers and bureaucrats to collaborate on a vision for the territory.

“We’re different people,” he said of Silver, saying the former premier will be a great advisor in the new cabinet.

“I’m a person who really has worked in a lot of different areas at a grassroots level with non-profits and with community organizations, so I’m going to be going out and leaning on those groups for advice in many ways.”

He said he’d also seek advice from fellow party members, the official Opposition, the NDP and bureaucrats to form policy and manage his government.

NO CABINET SHAKEUP,
SOME CIVIL SERVICE
CHANGES

The new premier’s cabinet reflects his stay-the-course mentality.

Aside from a new deputy premier in Jeanie McLean, and the change in government leadership, ministerial roles remain almost completely unchanged. One exception is Silver taking over the Public Service Commission at an important time from John Streicker.

“I think that the ministers that have those responsibilities are doing a good job,” Pillai said.

“And I think continuity was important. You know, we’re halfway through our mandate and I wanted to see as little disruption as possible.”

Pillai offloaded some of his cabinet portfolios to Silver and Streicker, but remains minister of Economic Development and minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corp.

He said responsibility for the housing portfolio was of particular importance to him, calling it “one of the most significant challenges that we have in the Yukon right now.” 

Despite the theme of stability, Pillai has shaken up some civil service positions, replacing the deputy ministers of Education, Women and Gender Equity and Health and Social Services.

He’s also appointed a new president for the Yukon Housing Corp.

The Yukon Party put out a release last week saying those changes show Pillai isn’t committed to stability, as he’s said.

The release also stated the retirements of two senior public servants, the deputy ministers of Finance and the Executive Council Office, “indicate a lack of confidence by senior officials in Mr. Pillai.” 

Pillai said some public servants simply retired and other changes were about tailoring a team of civil servants to his government.

“The folks that I put in place right now I have immense respect for, and and I think they’re going to work well with me and the style of work that I undertake,” he said.

“So that’s where those decisions were made.”

NO PLANS FOR
TERRITORIAL ELECTION
THIS YEAR

Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon has also asked Pillai to seek his own mandate and call an election so Yukoners can decide who succeeds Silver. Pillai took the premiership without a party vote, let alone a general election.

But Pillai has said since first announcing his candidacy in late November that Yukoners don’t want that.

“I believe that the majority of Yukoners want their political representatives to work on their behalf right now,” he said.

“From conversations I’ve had with Yukoners and from the folks that I lean on for advice, I think that the majority of Yukoners right now do not want to see a general election.”

CONFIDENCE AND SUPPLY
AGREEMENT

The government isn’t required to call an election until November 2025. Pillai said he needs to ensure his party is ready for an election, though. 

His party lost its majority in the last election in 2021, tying the Yukon Party with eight seats each in the legislature.

The Liberals were able to hold on to power through a Confidence and supply Agreement it worked out with the NDP, wherein the third party ensured confidence votes for the governing Liberals.

Pillai said he and his party have a good relationship with the NDP and he hopes negotiations result in a new agreement.

“CASA is certainly a key part of the stability that we’ve seen since 2021,” Pillai said.

“But it’s also important that that agreement reflect our party’s values as well. And that the items that we agree upon are going to improve and better the lives of all Yukoners.”

Rent control, for instance, is something Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn said during the fall 2022 sitting would likely end following CASA’s expiration.

Pillai did not go that far, but said any continuation of rent control would have to be re-evaluated in a new agreement to best support tenants and landlords.

“My focus will be to support a dialogue with the NDP,” he said, adding that he’s already reached out to leader Kate White and will be negotiating a new agreement through the rest of the month.

He said talks could continue past the agreement’s deadline, and his party will have to start getting ready for the spring sitting in March, regardless of how those talks go.

White said last week she’s ready to begin conversations with the new leader, but was waiting for the leadership to change before negotiating anything.

Whether CASA is renewed or ended is sure to have a massive impact on the inter-party dynamics of the legislature going forward.

WORKING WITH OTHER
PARTIES

Relations with the Yukon Party are a bit frostier, Pillai noted, though he wants to collaborate with the opposition wherever possible. 

The YP has been critical of Pillai’s ministerial record on housing in recent months. Party members have also repeatedly criticized Pillai in the legislative assembly, with Pillai calling some attacks personal and misleading.

“Mr. Dixon has said publicly that he’s looking forward to working with me, so I take that as a serious position,” Pillai told the Star.

“And I also look forward to that, because I think at the end of the day, Yukoners want to see their political representatives from all parties collaborate and work on their behalf.”

Pillai said he received a friendly phone call from Dixon in the days after his acclamation.

In a statement published in Friday’s Star, Dixon also publicly congratulated Pillai and thanked Silver for his leadership in a YP release last week.

That same release, though, said the Liberals need to “respect” non-binding motions YP has passed in the legislature, such as removing Tracy-Anne McPhee for her performance as minister of Education during the sexual abuse scandal at Hidden Valley Elementary School.

Pillai said the Yukon Party is sometimes more focused on “personalizing politics” than debating ideas, but he remains open to collaborating with the party.

“It does not matter what the political perspective one has,” he said. “I’m here to serve all individuals.”

Pillai comes into office as the Yukon Employees’ Union, representing a large number of Yukon government employees, has reached an impasse in collective bargaining with the territory.

Pillai said he understands the union wants to negotiate the best deal for its members, but the federal government is signaling financial austerity in the immediate future, and the territory has to consider what that could mean for its budget. 

The territory reported a $55-million surplus at the end of 2022. Pillai said that figure doesn’t reflect money tied up in assets, adding that pressures from housing, health care and a growing population will all be costly going forward.

“So we have to really do more with less resources,” he said.