NDP Leader Liz Hanson has two new allies in her race for the premier's office.

Two new NDP candidates, Skeeter Miller-Wright and Louis Gagnon, announced their candidacies for the upcoming territorial election. This morning, they stood alongside Hanson with cans of Orange Crush in the front foyer of the Yukon government administration building.

Miller -Wright will be running in Copperbelt North and Gagnon in Whitehorse West.

Gagnon's announcement may come as a surprise to Yukoners as just three weeks ago he had discussed his intention to run on behalf of the Liberal party.

"You know when you break up with someone and you say, ‘Well, it's not you, it's me'? Well, in this case it is me,” he said.

"What we've seen is that the middle is no longer balanced, Canadians no longer want a middle option, they want a mitigation against the right. We need a new left, which is where Jack Layton brought the NDP federally and it's what Liz has done here,” he said.

Gagnon called for a change in leadership to reflect what he believes is a shift in the political thinking of Yukoners. Echoing the now famous parting words of the late federal NDP leader, Gagnon called for a new social democratic leadership that is progressive, optimistic and enthusiastic.

Gagnon has been a small business owner, first in the hospitality industry and more recently as a local restaurateur.

Miller-Wright is a former social worker with experience in the mining industry and 21 years negotiating and implementing First Nations land claims for the Yukon government.

He will be seeking a nomination in the same riding as Yukon Liberal Party Leader Arthur Mitchell, a challenge he says he is undaunted by.

"I have certainly taken on some major chores before and I do not doubt that I have an excellent chance of succeeding here as well,” he said.

"Something I think is very important is a combination of listening to the issues and actually acting on them,” he said. "Because it's not about me, it's about the neighbourhood residents, municipal residents, those are the people affected by our political decisions.”

Both candidates said housing and taking a proactive stance on environmental issues such as the Peel watershed's future are at the forefront of their platforms.

Resource royalty-sharing is also likely to be another primary issue after Premier Darrell Pasloski announced Prime Minister Stephen Harper's agreement in changing the arrangement between Canada and the Yukon for sharing resource revenues (see story below).

"When do we start talking about getting a fair share of resource revenue that we actually keep?” asked Hanson.

"We need a government that is going to talk about what the real revenues are and what we'll actually get to keep in this territory.”

The leader also cited a review of the Municipal Act as a priority.

"We cannot be citizens with no voice,” she said.

"We have been challenging this government and we will take the Municipal Act for a comprehensive review as opposed to just sections of it.

"What they focused on last year was the financial support, which is absolutely critical but it's not the only aspect that needs to be reviewed.

"We need to go to the principles and make sure that we all have a say in the decisions that affect us. And municipal decisions affect all of us,” she said.

Hanson believes the new candidates are up to the challenges the party faces in the coming campaign and will "add another level of cultural and linguistic diversity to the NDP team.”

"It's time for us to have a government that Yukoners can trust and that listens to people, and I know this is something all of our candidates are committed to delivering.”

Currie Dixon wants to be the Yukon Party MLA in Copperbelt North.

Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor is seeking re-election in Whitehorse West, while Cully Robinson is representing the Liberals.

By MAX LEIGHTON

Star Reporter