Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai announced in a press conference on the afternoon of May 7 that he will be stepping down as leader of the Yukon Liberal Party and will not seek re-election.
He told reporters gathered in the cabinet office at the Yukon legislative building that he has informed the Liberal caucus and his team about his decision.
Pillai will stay on as party leader and premier until a successor is named. He will also remain in his role as MLA for Porter Creek South and will hold onto his ministerial portfolios in economic development and housing in the meantime.
He offered thanks to his family for their sacrifices over his time as premier.
Pillai noted that being involved in Yukon politics has consumed much of his adult life, since volunteering for the Liberals and becoming party president before serving as a Whitehorse city councillor, MLA, cabinet minister and premier.
He was first elected to the legislature in November 2016, and again in April 2021.
Pillai took over as Liberal leader and premier, after former premier Sandy Silver announced his resignation from the top job in late 2022, triggering a leadership contest. Silver stayed on as Klondike MLA but won't be running again.
Pillai's appointment as premier took effect on Jan. 14, 2023.
“Serving as your premier has been the most rewarding job of my life. In this role, Yukoners have welcomed me into their homes, workplaces, communities, shared moments of joy and sadness and helped to guide our territory through the ups and downs,” he said.
“The work of a premier or minister is all consuming, which means considerable time away from those that are closest to you. And I didn't understand that at the time, but I get it now.”
He reflected on his election to Whitehorse city council in 2009, noting he was “the first elected councillor North of 60 who looked like me" in reference to his Indo-Canadian identity.
He has discussed his decision with his family. He said he recently spoke with his son about the responsibilities and challenges of the job.
“(My son) told me that it is important that people understand that someone who looks like us can do this job; can represent all Yukoners. What neither of us appreciated was the extent to which doing this work impacts all aspects of one's life,” Pillai said.
“I think back to what one former premier said to me after he announced his decision to step away, and he said to me ‘in this line of work, you know when you know.’”
Pillai said he will continue with the work underway on addressing tariff threats, bringing in internationally trained health professionals and more, until territorial elections are called.
The territorial opposition leaders were taken aback by the premier’s resignation announcement.
The Yukon Party issued a statement in place of an interview with Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon.
“We wish him well in his future endeavours,” reads the statement from the Yukon Party.
The Official Opposition went on to slam the Liberal government’s record over the last nine years. The Yukon Party speculated that none of the sitting Liberal cabinet ministers will go on to seek re-election, suggesting they would rather quit than face voters.
“The Liberal government has plunged the Yukon into record-setting debt, overseen the worst-performing economy in 2024, led our health care system to the brink of collapse, and seen a skyrocketing wave of crime,” the statement reads.
“This decision also means that the Yukon will be essentially leaderless during a time that the Prime Minister and other Premiers have stated is of great consequence for our country.”
In response to the Yukon Party’s statement, cabinet communications came to the government’s defence but declined to confirm or deny the ministers' intentions around seeking re-election.
In a text, the premier's team highlighted the Yukon having one of the “strongest economies in Canada” — leading through and bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic with strong projected growth and the highest employment in the country.
Cabinet comms noted health care struggles are being felt nationwide — that's why the Liberals made record investments in the health and hospital system. They said the Yukon’s debt is lower than other northern governments, even as the Yukon Liberals filled infrastructure gaps left behind by the former Yukon Party government.
“The territory is far from leaderless,” they said, noting Pillai’s commitment to work with newly minted Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Yukon NDP Leader Kate White thanked Pillai for his service.
White expressed appreciation for the work the two accomplished, particularly around the confidence and supply agreement, which saw the Yukon NDP keeping the minority Liberals in power.
“What I think this resignation really highlights is that this is a two-party race in the territorial election,” she told the News by phone. “Between the Yukon NDP and the Yukon Party.”
Territorial elections must take place on or before Nov. 3.
In a press release immediately following Pillai's announcement, the Yukon Liberal Party said Pillai asked the party to kickstart the process for holding a leadership convention to pick a new party leader.
The party’s executive will discuss the timelines and entry rules for the convention, as laid out in the party’s constitution.
"Look, I think that we have to ensure that, you know, there's strong leadership here with the Yukon Liberal Party. I want to make sure, you know, that they're supported," Pillai said.
"I'm ready to do my work over the summer."
When asked what’s next after the premiership for him, Pillai suggested there’s still a “small window” for him to serve in uniform in some fashion.
“The only thing I've ever thought about is I want to maybe serve again in a different way. That could be with the Canadian Armed Forces. I've been looking at that,” he said.
"I want to, you know, breathe and take some time first.”
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
