Premier Dennis Fentie is flying to Vancouver today to meet with Yukon New Democratic Party leader Todd Hardy.
Hardy is undergoing treatment at St. Paul’s Hospital for leukemia. He was diagnosed with the disease two weeks ago.
“I will be travelling to Vancouver on Friday, August 25, 2006 to meet with Todd Hardy to discuss his medical condition given the fact that an election must be called by November 04, 2006,” Fentie said in a letter to Liberal leader Arthur Mitchell obtained by The News.
“Mr. Hardy’s medical condition is one of the factors I must consider in setting a date for the 2006 general election.”
Fentie was travelling Friday and declined further comment.
Hardy declined comment until he hears what Fentie has to say.
Mitchell also declined comment about Fentie’s visit.
Hardy has indicated publicly he’d like Fentie to delay the election until he regains his strength.
Fentie and Hardy worked together for four years as backbench MLAs in Piers McDonald’s NDP government that held office from 1996 to 2000.
Many political observers predicted Fentie would call the election today, which would have resulted in a September 25 election date.
That would have avoiding a timing conflict with municipal elections that must be held in communities across the territory, including Whitehorse, on October 19.
The territorial election campaign must be 30 days long, and, by law, voting has to take place on Monday.
n CRIME
One dustbrawler down,
three still at large
Mounties arrested 21-year-old Kevin Smith of Surrey, British Columbia, on Wednesday.
Smith is alleged to have been part of a group believed to have been responsible for four of five savage assaults at the Dustball Softball dance in Whitehorse in July.
He is charged with assault, aggravated assault and two counts of assault causing bodily harm.
Smith was arrested in a Whitehorse home without incident, said police in a release.
Whitehorse RCMP charged five men and issued arrest warrants for four of them earlier this month.
One member of the alleged group, Clifford Derkson, was arrested on August 1st, and has already been released pending an upcoming trial.
Three men remain at large.
Michael Brereton, 22, of Whitehorse, is wanted on charges of assault causing bodily harm.
Jesse Ritchie and Calvin Jefferson, both 27 and both from Surrey, are wanted on charges of aggravated assault, and two counts each of assault causing bodily harm.
When police arrived at the Dustball dance in the early morning hours of July 16th, they found people fighting and a man lying unconscious.
Three people were taken to hospital with a variety of injuries.
Two other men from Surrey were arrested and charged with the fifth assault alleged to have occurred at the dance.
Violence at the Dustball dance ignited a backlash of citizens against drugs, drug dealers and related violence in Whitehorse.
And that resistance is spreading.
Champagne-Aishihik, the Kwanlin Dun and Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nations have installed signs warning drug dealers away from their communities.
(TQ)