Elaine Taylor is now responsible for five government departments.

The NDP will have a contested nomination meeting.

And the Yukon Party government is just barely holding onto a majority kind of.

The implications of John Edzerza, the former Yukon Party Education and Justice minister, resigning from his party's caucus and government cabinet this week, could be far-reaching.

With Premier Dennis Fentie required to call a general election by November, and speculation he may actually drop the writ in a matter of weeks, politicians and election candidates all seem to be downplaying the Edzerza factor, saying their energies are focused elsewhere their various constituencies.

'(Fentie's) just tried to put the best public face on it,' Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell says of Edzerza departure. 'It's a difficult time for the Yukon Party.'

But Fentie disagrees. 'It won't even break our stride,' he told the Star after receiving notification from his now-former minister on Wednesday afternoon that he would no longer be sitting in government.

There's no point in shuffling the cabinet at this time in the Yukon Party's mandate to fill important portfolios formerly held by the McIntyre-Takhini MLA, said Fentie.

It will be the portfolios' alternate ministers who will be responsible for both, he said, committing to keep his eye on the departments too.

The alternate ministers, however, is actually a minister Taylor.

She already serves as Tourism and Culture Minister, Minister responsible for the Women's Directorate, Minister responsible for the Public Service Commission and is the deputy premier.

Edzerza's departure takes her responsibilities up to five holdings. The rest of Fentie's cabinet men hold an average of two portfolios.

At this point in the game, numbers don't matter much anymore, said Mitchell number of portfolios nor numbers on the floor of the legislature.

There are now nine MLAs sitting in government and nine in the opposition benches.

With Yukon Party member Ted Staffen holding the duties of speaker, it takes the government down to eight. Parliamentary procedure dictates Staffen only casts a vote in the case of a tie.

It could be a non-issue for the Yukon Party if Fentie decides not to reconvene the house prior to the election call.

Fentie has neither confirmed nor denied if he intends to, though in the past he has hinted at a desire to table a supplementary budget.

'Stay tuned,' he likes to say at any mention of the election, a sitting or a budget.

It's such suggestions that prompted Edzerza to jump ship now.

'I'm not prepared to go and start pretending that I'm with the party when I'm not. I felt that if there is going to be a supplementary budget developed, I don't want to involved in its development. It was time to leave now,' Edzerza told reporters Thursday, after listing several incidents that had caused him to doubt his involvement in the Yukon Party.

The May 2005 cull of the former Northern Splendor Reindeer herd, the 2005 byelection announcement of a new school for the Copperbelt riding, the cancellation of a planned Burwash Landing school and the need for the NDP to push the Yukon Party into safer communities legislation created the core of his disillusionment.

'It's all very interesting to see,' said Mitchell, adding Fentie managed to keep Edzerza under control and onside up to this point.

'It's damage control,' he said.

'In this business, there are no surprises in the political arena,' countered Fentie.

Edzerza said he hadn't spoken to Fentie for at least a month. Fentie was also unable to place a timeframe on when he had last spoken to his former colleague, simply stating the MLA had been away on vacation.

'I was elected by the constituents and I believe when you are elected by a riding that you have to put your own personal agenda aside and work to the best interests of the riding,' said Edzerza.

It's a line the NDP likes to hear.

'Our fundamental belief is a member has a responsibility to the constituency,' said NDP Leader Todd Hardy. '(Edzerza) will go through the process any member would go through.'

Edzerza had previously approached the NDP about joining the caucus, but was told he would not be accepted if he simply crossed the floor, said Hardy.

It is party policy that an MLA elected under a different banner, must resign his or her seat and force a byelection or sit as an independent and later seek party nomination in a riding.

It's a healthy and democratic process, said Hardy, adding he was 'not at all' involved in any discussions with Edzerza prior to his decision to seek the NDP nomination.

Edzerza was only told the party's policy on crossing the floor, said Hardy.

Edzerza added he only had talks with Hardy regarding what the NDP stands for and had come to believe the party is more in line with his political ideals and a deep concern about the social side of the ledger.

'I don't think it's a surprise,' said Hardy. 'He's been on the outside of the Yukon Party for several months.'

Rumours have been flying since March, when Edzerza declared he would be a 'free agent' come the next election. The MLA will be seeking the NDP nomination in his incumbent riding of McIntyre-Takhini.

The day before his resignation and the statement of his political intentions, Rachael Lewis, a local businesswoman and former political candidate and campaign manager, stated she would be seeking the NDP's nomination in the riding.

'I don't work on rumours,' Lewis told the Star. She said she has been out working the riding since July 21.

The decision to seek the party's nod is based on what she feels she can do for the riding, not who she might be running against, said Lewis.

'I can be a good advocate.'

Hardy said it will be up to the riding's party members to decide who they would like to represent them in the election. He will not be throwing his support behind either candidate, stating that is not his place.

He, however, added that both are strong candidates for the NDP and he hopes that whoever does not win the party's nod would consider representing another riding.

Lewis said today she is undecided on if she would look to another riding if she were to lose to Edzerza.

'Right now I'm concentrating on McIntyre-Takhini,' she said.

Edzerza, however, seemed unfazed by the contested nomination, smiling and simply stating, 'Nothing is ever easy in politics.'