Barring a fall snap election, the earliest Yukon NDP's soon-to-be leader Elizabeth Hanson could sit in the legislative assembly is next spring.

Hanson, formerly the territory's top federal bureaucrat, is now NDP leader-designate, after she was the only party member to challenge for the party's top job. She will be acclaimed at the party's leadership convention Sept. 26.

Taking questions during a morning press conference at the NDP's caucus office, Hanson explained what lured her out of retirement and into the political arena.

"I was somewhat dismayed to see that we only had one candidate because I really thought this was a process that we could re-engage and have a dynamic dialogue ... for members of the party and for Yukoners in general," Hanson said. "If I keep saying that people should get engaged, then I should do it myself, so I did it."

Contrary to Hanson's aspirations for the party, when she threw her hat into the race, Mount Lorne MLA Steve Cardiff bowed out, citing personal reasons he did not elaborate on.

Outgoing leader Todd Hardy, who will remain as a regular MLA after Sept. 26, announced he would step down as party leader last February due to a relapse of his leukemia, first diagnosed in 2006.

It was expected that Hardy would resign his seat following the NDP's leadership convention, allowing the incoming leader a chance for a seat in the assembly.

However, the resignation of Brad Cathers from the ruling Yukon Party, reducing it to minority government status, has changed the playing field and the strategy.

"In politics, timing is everything. Why would I hand over to (Premier Dennis) Fentie, control over the future of the election? He can pick and choose it when he wants," said Hardy.

According to the rules of the legislature, when an MLA resigns his or her seat, the premier has 180 days to call a byelection, after which it is a period of 31 additional days until voters in that particular riding go to the polls.

If Hardy were to relinquish his seat, that vacancy would nulify the current minority government.

"There's only two of us in the legislative assembly but we are a caucus of three ... we are a lot stronger now," Hardy insisted.

Without mentioning Cathers' resignation, brought about according to the former Energy minister because Fentie misled cabinet and the public about the pontential sell-off of the territory's public utilities, Hanson spoke to the current state of politics in the Yukon.

"I know there are a lot of people out there who share my concerns about a government that has moved so far away from the citizens, who demonstrate day in and day out a lack of accountability, a lack of transparency and who's fundamentaly discarded basic parliamentary process," Hanson said.

"And when you can't trust our politicians to respect us as individuals and to respect the issues that are so important to us and our future, then we really have a challenge."

When the Star asked Hardy if it would have been better to resign his seat in February, he said such a decision was made by himself, Cardiff and the party's executive.

"We picked a time that we felt was a good time and you can see the pros and cons of byelection," Hardy said. "And Elizabeth needs to and wants to communicate with the public ... and this gives her time one-on-one to communicate with them. This decision wasn't taken lightly, this was not made by me alone."