Willard Phelps, a former government leader and ex-Yukon Energy Corp. chair, says the new political party he's spearheading will be ready for the next territorial election with a full slate of candidates and with victory as the goal.

"We're in it to win,” Phelps. "And clearly, I firmly believe we can and we will.”

Phelps held a press conference at the Gold Rush Inn in Whitehorse this morning to announce the United Citizens Party's draft constitution, an upcoming community tour and founding convention, tentatively set for June 5.

Phelps made news last June when he and three other directors quit the energy corporation's board to protest what they viewed as Premier Dennis Fentie's designs to privatize the public utility in a deal with Calgary-based ATCO. Since then, the 68-year-old Phelps has been on a campaign to remove Fentie from power.

In October 2009, he commissioned a poll, results of which indicated two out of three respondents were dissatisfied with the ruling Yukon Party and its opposition Liberal and New Democratic Party counterparts.

In November, more than 100 people turned out to a public meeting at the Gold Rush Inn to hear Phelps' pitch for a new political party in the territory

This morning, it appears his idea has gathered steam. Among those in the room while Phelps addressed local media were former Liberal MLAs Don Roberts and Mike McLarnon, as well as Rick Steele and former Kwanlin Dun First Nation (KDFN) chief Rick O'Brien.

Former Liberal MLA Wayne Jim, who along with McLarnon and Roberts, resigned from Pat Duncan's short-lived majority Liberal government to sit as independents in 2002, was also present for a short time.

Asked who was considering a run at a candidacy with the United Citizens Party, Roberts, McLarnon and Steele indicated their interest.

Steele has already done work on the party's communication strategy, starting a website and online discussion platform and will facilitate future online conferences

Both Steele and Phelps hope it will help to attract younger people to the party's fold, as well as be inclusive to people in far-flung regions of the Yukon.

"It doesn't mean we're the new technology party,” said Steele before reworking a famous quote from former prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.

"Technology if necessary, but not necessarily technology.”

Following the press conference, current KDFN chief Mike Smith, who turned out near the close of the event, was hounded by reporters for his thoughts on one of Phelps' stated goals: to heal rifts between the territorial government and Yukon's first nations.

"That's a loaded question; I'm not going to answer that,” Smith said.

Asked if he is interested in running as a candidate for the new political party, Smith was noncommittal, yet offered his own assessment of the current state of territorial politics.

"The NDP's going down the tubes, so what the hell?” Smith said when asked if he believes Phelps' idea is viable. "But I'm just here as an observer.”

Other stated goals of the United Citizens Party (a working title, according to Phelps) is "politics based on consensus instead of contentiousness, pragmatism instead of ideology, and inclusiveness instead of factionalism and cronyism,” as outlined in party literature distributed to media this morning.

"There's an awful lot of people who want to get past the bickering and all that stuff and get into positive alternatives,” Phelps said. "That is going to draw people togetherand come up with common sense solutions, agreed to on a consensus basis.”

Phelps did not miss the chance to lash out at the premier and the current government.

"This government is going into debt in a desperate attempt to buy votes for the next election. It's a government that does these things with very little thought (or) policy building,” Phelps charged.

"It spends money in a manner which to me is outrageous. Many of our projects, are ... in my view three, four hundred times what they should cost.”

When one reporter asked what provisions are in place to prevent "the kind of despotism” Phelps has accused Fentie of, Phelps cited a recall provision in the draft constitution.

It would require recommendations from six constituency associations "showing cause and justification” and 100 signatures from party members.

Phelps aims for the new party to hold nomination meetings in the Yukon's 19 ridings by this fall, and will put his name forward for the leadership.

"I've been asked to do this. I am,” said Phelps, adding that if elected to the legislature, it would be unlikely he would stick around more than one term.

The next territorial election is expected in the fall of 2011.