Photo by Whitehorse Star
Ranj Pillai
Race set to become a coronation in 24 hours
After six uneventful weeks, the race to replace Sandy Silver, the Yukon’s premier and Liberal party leader, appears primed to become a coronation.
After six uneventful weeks, the race to replace Sandy Silver, the Yukon’s premier and Liberal party leader, appears primed to become a coronation.
That’s because, since the leadership campaign opened in late November, only one person has put his name forward for the job: Ranj Pillai.
Unless someone else throws his or her hat into the ring by 5 p.m. Saturday, the race will turn into a cakewalk for the cabinet minister and MLA for Porter Creek South.
Since Silver announced he would be stepping down as party leader – and by extension, premier – back in September 2022, speculation has swirled over who would replace him.
Pillai was a frontrunner from the beginning; now, barring an unlikely last-minute announcement, it appears he’s a shoe-in.
Pillai announced his candidacy on Nov. 25, and no one else has followed suit.
He immediately attracted the endorsments of former Yukon MP Larry Bagnell and Ione Christensen, the former Whitehorse mayor and ex-Yukon commissioner and senator. Later, Education Minister Jeanie McLean made her endorsement of her colleague public.
According to the rules the party laid out for the race in November, after the deadline to register as a candidate expires tomorrow, a leadership convention will be held Jan. 28 to vote on the new leader. That vote could become unnecessary should Pillai, as expected, remain unopposed.
Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon has said he wants the new Liberal leader to call an election this year so all Yukoners can have a say in who governs the territory and succeeds Silver, but Pillai told reporters in November he would not do that.
“I think at this point, people want stability,” he said then.
Pillai, who’s represented Porter Creek South in the legislative assembly since late 2016, has served as the deputy premier, minister of Economic Development, Energy, Mines and Resources, Tourism and Culture as well as the Yukon Housing, Energy and Development Corporations.
Prior to that, he was a Whitehorse city councillor. He has also held various roles with First Nations development corporations, Northern Vision Development and several junior mining companies.
Silver has said he will step down as premier once an official replacement is named, but will continue to represent the district of Klondike as MLA until the next election.
He’s also said he hopes to continue working in a cabinet position under his successor.
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Comments (25)
Up 3 Down 3
Matthew on Jan 10, 2023 at 7:22 pm
@Adam I'm always willing to have an open conversation, something that Council, and elected officials don't want, I've tried. I'll even meet with you to discuss anything you'd like. I'll never retract my comments and always stand behind my words. Unless I'm proven 100% wrong. It that case I'll be happy, cause I'll get to learn something new.
Up 10 Down 6
Adam Smith on Jan 9, 2023 at 8:36 pm
@Jim. Hougen Group, Pike Group, FN dev Corps. Realtors, Vancouver group that owns Motorway lots. Group that purchased the Kopper King.
With respect to grants, look at the news releases from Ec Dev over the last 24 months, look at the media articles on a bakery in Mount Sima.
It doesn't look like a dead mall now. Maybe Yukonstruct is a good thing? Or would you prefer a vacant supermarket?
If you want to throw mud, wipe your glasses first. Or do a google search before commenting.
Up 12 Down 4
Adam Smith on Jan 9, 2023 at 8:27 pm
@Matthew. Hougen Group, Pike Group, Realtors. Vancouver group that brought the Motorway lots and other properties. FN Dev Corps. But NVD are the group you call out?
Run for Mayor, then you are accountable for what you say. There a few of us in this community that can read a balance sheet. Also you need people to vote for you.
I responded to your blind attack on someone's character who is an elected official. I did not realise I was attacking your wish to run for public office.
The irony.
Up 16 Down 11
Matthew on Jan 9, 2023 at 3:40 pm
Hey @Adam, I'm simply following the money, it's as simple as "buying votes". Of course NVD don't own 50%, it's a figure of speech, they own quite a lot here in town, probably the biggest owner of places, plenty to choose from. And be careful what you wish for, I may just end up running for Mayor. As for my track record, I've added millions of dollars of value to this town. I'm self employed in construction. I've bought and sold businesses here.
Up 26 Down 6
John on Jan 9, 2023 at 1:49 pm
Well after mismanaging your current portfolios one can hardly wait to see what kind of a mess you will make of the whole government! Yukon Housing was and is a disgrace - over budget on every project and delays, delays after delays with construction. Yukon Energy Corp can not even keep the power on because of mismangement using Aladdin's lamp and witchcraft to guess user needs. Costs going through the roof on a proposed joint initiative with Atlin with no end in sight. Economic Dev is a joke - spending more time on the indigenous file in that department then looking after the our current industries, now strife with red tape. Tourism is unable to survive without the Feds propping it up. This government letting the carbon tax put extra costs on our rubber tire trade, and of course Yukoners in general. No wonder our tourism traffic is down. Word is it is far cheaper for most Americans to simply take the ferry with their units then face our high prices.
You just keep up the good work - make sure you keep adding those social programs, keep the druggies happy and the beggars. Be sure to include chief socialist White in your equation land make sure to put the screws to the landlords. To hell with those of us that would like to see a Yukon that is debt free and looking for fair treatment instead of the wok-ism for your pals and the BS reconciliation. Perhaps instead of having the money come to YTG from the Feds it can just be transferred to FN and we can go begging for any support that the majority of Yukoners need. Might as well, as that is the reality anyway!
Up 25 Down 6
Jim on Jan 9, 2023 at 10:33 am
@Adam Smith, apparently you know something more than everyone else. Maybe give us examples of who owns more properties in Whitehorse. I think if you look at it without the rose coloured glasses you would most likely find NVD is right behind First Nations as far as land holdings in Whitehorse. As far as honey money deals maybe give some examples of non-first nation or NVD or ones given to groups such as YukonStruct that was a windfall for NVD in a dead mall. Rather than just saying it isn’t so is just another Liberal style of deflection and non answers. Ranj is premier because of his cheque book, not his leadership capabilities.
Up 17 Down 8
Welcome to the L-NDP caste system on Jan 9, 2023 at 9:40 am
After all it was destiny for Pillai to become leader of something… Anything!
Why not the Yukon?
“Pillai, meaning Prince, is a title of nobility which can either refer to a ruling chief, members of the nobility, or junior princes of the royal family historically ranked immediately below the king. The oldest lineages of Pillais include not only Kshatriyas but also brahmins who took up the sword.”
As the L-NDP Alliance struggles to turn the Yukon and the country into a caste system based on the construction of identitarian precepts (castes) Pillai is justly socially located to implement such measures. Pillaian culture favoured hierarchical caste systems to assign worthiness - Great ideals for sure. No wonder why they hate equality.
They are classists of ruling elites!
Up 14 Down 36
Yukoner32 on Jan 8, 2023 at 6:44 pm
I hope nothing changes under the new leadership Groucho.
Under the Liberals right now we have the hottest economy Yukon has ever had, Yukon is doing its part to fight global warming and we are helping those who need it most along the way with subsidized daycare and now a dental program amongst other programs.
We don't need a return to the Old Boys club of the Yukon Party that brought us the Peel Watershed fight, frat boy group texts about genitalia and challenges to fight other politicians in the parking lot. Yeah, no thanks!
Up 17 Down 16
Douglas Martens on Jan 8, 2023 at 5:19 pm
The lockdown party was extremely frustrating to endure, and Sandy's name will forever be etched in my memory due to some fault of his own.
There was little sympathy shown for anyone who did not agree with the endless restrictive mandates, and the needless terrorizing of the Yukon with the propaganda over the .00001 or whatever death rate.
I do not expect ever forgetting the experience of being locked out of every restaurant and store and business and bathroom in the city of wuhan, sorry whitehorse in the winter, due to my personal refusal to participate to rag up.
And watching dedicated and skilled people being discarded like trash from their positions because of their drug injection preferences was yet another nail in the liberal coffin.
So, it is probably advantageous to the lockdown party to find someone else to represent the liberals in the Yukon, and likely Brendan Hanley was glossed over for the same reasons; the stigma will remain stuck to him for life like an extremely ugly tattoo on his forehead.
However, an omnivorous barnyard creature with lipstick and a gold ring even is not likely to perform any better come the next crisis. Even so, perhaps Mr Pillai will be the spine that was so sadly lacking in the lockdown puppet party which will for some period of time be known as "the lockdown liberals".
Up 37 Down 9
Groucho d'North on Jan 8, 2023 at 9:23 am
"Vision Leadership Results" The same can be said for the lead lemming headed for the cliff.
Up 50 Down 8
John - with a J on Jan 8, 2023 at 7:57 am
Ok, everybody that wants to lead the Yukon Liberal party to a crushing defeat, please line up here, and no pushing please.
Up 28 Down 8
EJ on Jan 7, 2023 at 9:58 pm
@Yukoner Why would the NDP trigger an election? In case you haven't noticed, the NDP are further left than the Liberals, so why would they trigger an election which according to recent polls would mean a majority conservative aka 'Yukon Party' government coming into power that represents the opposite of almost everything they believe in?
That would mean an end to most climate change policies, an end to subsidized daycare, the new dental care program and basically everything the NDP say that they stand for. Although curiously the NDP and Yukon Party align against gun control.
Up 47 Down 6
Groucho d'North on Jan 7, 2023 at 12:48 pm
Does anybody really expect anythying to change with new Liberal leadership?
Up 40 Down 11
Al on Jan 7, 2023 at 12:27 pm
What this clearly shows are two things:
First - the old boys and gals club worked this nomination right from the beginning by throwing all their collective support in endorsing Pillai. The signal was very clear to any other prospective candidate that this individual "has our blessing in heart and mind". He is the "chosen" one. Meaning - anyone else is wasting their time.
Secondly - It clearly shows a lack of depth within the Liberal party to find good solid candidates to run - or - there are too many who are smart enough to not want to commit to failure that will befall the Liberals in the next election.
What I do find extremely outrageous more than anything is Sliver's comment that "He’s also said he hopes to continue working in a cabinet position under his successor." That is extremely presumptuous. The new premier does not, nor should he, have you Sliver glaring over his shoulder. In fact the best role for you is the Speaker - let some new blood into cabinet - less of course you think he is not capable of being a minister. That of course is another story altogether.
Up 38 Down 13
Prescriptive Policy on Jan 7, 2023 at 12:17 pm
1) Give up your rights to earn a living or have any fun in the name of safety.
2) Give up on accountability of leadership for the sake of stability.
3) Give up on protest and dissent for continuity.
Ranj, you weren’t elected to decide unilaterally ‘what people really want’. Talking that way only deepens the impression of you and your party as more of the same rule by out-of-touch elitism.
Anyone who works with you or for you knows your game: say yes to everything and everyone with a big smile then install a loyalist of yours into the dynamic to slow down or kill any project that doesn’t directly involve your friends.
I’m willing to predict before we’ve even gotten out of the gate on this leader’s tenure that this will be an era of the most corrupt conduct ever seen within YG. Beyond even the Yukon Party’s well documented back room antics. This administration will become an unaccountable high pressure pipeline of public money into private hands and opaque programs. Meanwhile the very broken public-facing essential systems that actually help people will go almost entirely ignored. The Yukon Liberals don’t even have the stomach to play a friendly match let alone tackle the chaos rushing to meet us.
Let’s see how this prediction ages by January 2025. Really, really hope I’m wrong.
Up 44 Down 11
Craig Brown on Jan 7, 2023 at 10:55 am
Enough of the old boys club.....call the election
Up 28 Down 13
Wilf Carter on Jan 7, 2023 at 9:45 am
So New Premier what are you doing about the shortage of housing which is way past 2000 now just in Whitehorse?
What doing with carbon tax on home heating, fuel that supplies Yukon like food going up this year by 30 cents a litter?
What are you doing with massive increases in poor in Yukon because of taxes?
What are you doing about the increase in food costs of 18% in the coming year?
Up 43 Down 11
iBrian on Jan 7, 2023 at 4:19 am
Call an Election
Up 34 Down 13
Please!!! on Jan 6, 2023 at 11:17 pm
Oh my PLEASE someone else come forward! And if not and this clown is acclaimed because he’s the only candidate he should be forced to call an election. Being elected as a MLA is NOT the same thing as being the leader of a party. Many Liberals and other Yukoners would not have voted for this or him. How can we call this a democracy if he doesn’t call an election? But dollars to donuts he won’t he’s so egotistical and power hungry.
Up 19 Down 26
Adam Smith on Jan 6, 2023 at 6:53 pm
Matthew. How big are your shades on the real world? NVD does not own most of Whitehorse. He has given a lot of money to non-FN. Do a search on the complaints made when he did so. Are you attacking a person that has tried to make a difference at all stages of his career? Why don’t you run for politics and let the rest of us review your work history?
News Flash. We need a premier and he might be only Liberal that was prepared to do it.
Up 17 Down 10
Jeff Donaldson on Jan 6, 2023 at 5:56 pm
Josey Wales for Premier!!!!!
Up 50 Down 13
Meet the new boss on Jan 6, 2023 at 4:41 pm
Poised to be a coronation. Isn’t it always?
Up 119 Down 21
Jie on Jan 6, 2023 at 3:40 pm
Yukon is a mess, call an election.
Up 117 Down 20
Yukoner on Jan 6, 2023 at 3:16 pm
Unfortunately at this point Ranj is just going to try to cling to power and have his time in the sun and the NDP are too scared to trigger an election. Sad state of affairs for the Yukon.
Up 109 Down 30
Matthew on Jan 6, 2023 at 3:07 pm
"He has also held various roles with First Nations development corporations, Northern Vision Development and several junior mining companies." Surprise, surprise, NVD own most of Whitehorse, and he gives tax payers money away to FN, of which anyone who isn't FN isn't allowed to participate in growing the community as a whole..