Pat Duncan, the former premier, former Liberal leader and the MLA for Porter Creek South, will not be seeking another term in the pending territorial election.

'It's been a hard decision to make,' Duncan told the Star this morning. 'You look at the pros and you look at the cons. You look at these things, and it was time.'

Duncan first earned a seat in the October 1996 general election, which saw the New Democrats elected.

She later became premier when the Liberals swept to power in 2000. Though after calling an election just 2 1/2 years into her mandate, her majority government was reduced to just one seat, with her alone in the house for much of the Yukon Party government's mandate that started in 2002.

Duncan also held the position as the party's leader from 1998, when she was acclaimed, until 2005.

But the past year has not been without its challenges, she says.

Her father, Tom Duncan, a former deputy minister and YTG official, died last September. She lost the leadership convention she called to Arthur Mitchell. Her children are reaching high school age and she has been addressing health concerns.

It all played a factor in her decision to move on after a decade in public office, she says.

'It's not uncommon for people to examine their careers. I have no regrets. I know in my heart I gave it my best.'

So in a newsletter currently being distributed to her constituents, Duncan made the announcement in a one-page letter.

'While many challenges lie ahead for our Porter Creek community, and the Yukon as a whole, I believe it is time for another to seek the privilege of representing you,' states the letter.

Duncan says it was important to tell her constituents first. She doesn't intend to hold a press conference or make a big deal about her decision.

'My first loyalty and service is to them,' she says.

Duncan's loyalty to constituents and her dedicated work as a constituency MLA will likely remain the most consistent memory of her work in the house, say many past and present political figures upon news this morning of her pending departure.

'She had an endless amount of energy, relating mostly to her constituents,' says Dale Eftoda, a former minister in Duncan's cabinet. 'She listened very hard to what people had to say.'

'Pat is an excellent politician,' agrees Mitchell. 'She's always been a constituent MLA and an advocate for Porter Creek South and Porter Creek, in general.

'She stands up for people when they are feeling overwhelmed. Her greatest achievement is in the way she always stood up for people.'

It is that kind of personal integrity that NDP Leader Todd Hardy says he has been consistently impressed with in Duncan's tenure.

'She always presented her viewpoints and her concerns in an honest manner,' says Hardy. 'I found her to be hardworking person who did her homework.'

Duncan had to be hardworking, says Mitchell, especially after becoming the only Liberal member in the house following the 2002 election.

Duncan became the Liberal critic responsible for every portfolio, says Mitchell. The amount of preparation involved in that is astounding, he says, but she was still able to get coverage and raise issues on behalf of Yukoners.

'She kept the flame alive after 2002.'

It is Duncan's ability to balance the demands of her job in the public life with her family time that has been most impressive, says Yukon MP Larry Bagnell.

'She still made sure there was balance in her life,' says Bagnell. 'I always admired that.'

Duncan says she has always been mother to her children, Kristen and Craig, first and a politician second.

'Having young children early on in office kept me grounded,' she says.

Patrick Michael, clerk to the Yukon's legislative assembly, says throughout Duncan's time in politics, her attention to the family life of those in office has been apparent.

It was during Duncan's time in the premier's office that night sittings were eliminated from the legislature's timetable.

Duncan was also involved in the establishment of the non-partisan women's caucus and a motion that saw the house's hours pushed back to 5 p.m. this past spring sitting.

'That took a lot of courage, a lot of non-partisanship,' says Ted Staffen, the Speaker of the assembly. 'We are all parts of our families. We do it for our community and for our family.'

Mitchell cited Duncan's role in achieving devolution for the Yukon and the signing of the Ta'an Kwach'an Council land claim agreement as some of her key achievements.

Eftoda pointed to her work on upgrading the Wildlife Act and the Parks Act while the Liberals were in government.

'Pat challenged her minister to look hard and long at their respective departments,' he says.

And she was a vocal advocate, says Carole Bookless, president of the Porter Creek Community Association.

'She was always pretty accessible and actively participated and took our concerns. We'll miss her,' says Bookless.

Duncan is clearly a very strong person, say Staffen, adding that strength is critical in anyone who is a decision-maker.

And is needed for a women in politics, says Mitchell.

'No matter what we think, and no matter how we speak of equality in society, it's not always equal,' he says. 'Pat had to put up with some of that.'

Politics is always a challenging environment for women, says Duncan.

'But it doesn't mean it's not worth doing and I wish my colleagues well in it.'

Duncan's departure is unfortunate, says Premier Dennis Fentie.

'We don't like to see women stepping out of the political arena,' he says.

NDP MLA Lorraine Peter and Yukon Party MLA Elaine Taylor are the only other women in the legislature.

Duncan's political career has really been about women and politics, says Michael.

'It was a high point in our political success for women and politics in the Yukon,' he says.

Duncan was the Liberals' first female leader and the first woman premier. During her time in the premier's office, up to 50 per cent of the cabinet was women.

'It was a remarkable period,' he says. 'This isn't about Pat, but in a sense, women in politics, and that's fallen back a bit.'

Bagnell says her work in office should serve as an example to the successes and determination of her and encouragement for other women seeking office.

But not all reviews of Duncan are raving.

'You reach a point where you've run your course and it's time to move on,' says Don Roberts, one of the ministers to walk away from Duncan's cabinet in the implosion of her majority government in 2002. 'Some realize it sooner than others.'

The problem with the political system in the Yukon is that the leadership 'becomes the omnipotent know-it-all of everything,' he says.

'People become anointed with the power and it's like something seems to go wrong.'

Peter Jenkins, the MLA for Klondike, whose campaigns Duncan once worked on, says she did her best as a legislature.

'There's a lot of positives and there's a lot of negatives,' he says. 'She's one of the few people to take a majority government to a minority in a very short period of time.'

But there reaches a point in every party where a former leader has to move on and out of the political arena, he says.

Mitchell says her departure won't have an effect on the party. The party has a lot of candidates interested in running in the election Fentie must call by November, he says.

But he adds he certainly would have liked to see Duncan run again.

'She has more to offer and more to contribute, but you can only ask so much of a person. I don't think the party's lost Pat Duncan. Pat's just decided not to run again.'

Hardy, however, says he sees Duncan's departure as an indication of the continued controversy in the party especially in the wake of former NDP MLAs Gary McRobb and Eric Fairclough joining its caucus.

'There's some serious questions that need to be asked about the Liberal party and what it's become since Pat Duncan lost the leadership,' he says.

Duncan's dealt with the challenges of losing the leadership and having the two MLAs join the caucus with 'a lot of strength and courage,' says Hardy. 'She did it with grace.'

Fentie says Duncan likely wasn't left with a choice but to decide to not seek election again.

'With the situation she might have found herself in, she had to make this decision,' he says, adding 'situation' is 'recruitment of people like Gary McRobb, because people like Gary are impossible to work with.'

Duncan, however, disagrees, stating all elected legislators do their job and she welcomed them into the Liberal caucus.

But her departure raises the question of what the Liberals now stand for under Mitchell, Hardy says.

'It's a party in disarray. I feel it's very confused and I don't think the territory needs a confused leadership now.'

Duncan says she still supports the Liberal party and believes strongly in the party's ideals.

'I wouldn't presume to criticize another leader,' she says, adding the Liberal party will stand on its record in the legislature in the coming election.

Her public life may not yet, be over, she adds.

'I feel strongly about serving the public. I'd still like to do that, I'm just not sure how.'

But when asked about a future in the municipal arena, her answer comes quickly.

'The thought has crossed my mind. I've learned never, say never, but I'm still closing this chapter of my life.'

There are still issues Duncan wants to see moved on the creation of legislation to protect animals, the addressing of greenspace and work on the Yukon's health care system.

She says she just no longer feels those areas of interest can all continue to be addressed in her capacity as an MLA.

'MLAs work on a lot of different issues. I would like to focus that a little more.'

Duncan will remain as the MLA for Porter Creek South until another candidate is elected. She's not planning on leaving the Yukon and is looking for a job while completing a Masters in Public Administration.

'For now, I want to say thank you'. My last words to my constituents and to the media would be thank you.'

'It's been a privilege and a true honour to represent you for the last 10 years.'