Klondike MLA hangs up his hat

Veteran Yukon MLA Peter Jenkins will not run in the upcoming Oct. 10 election but hisold nemesis former Dawson City mayor Glen Everitt has decided to run in the Klondike riding as an independent.

Jenkins trounced Everitt in the last election and then his Yukon Party government fired Everitt and the entire Dawson council for financial mismanagement.

Jenkins left the Yukon Party to sit as an independent in 2005 after a dispute over his company's unpaid government loans.

In a telephone interview from Vancouver Monday, Jenkins said he's stepping back from a 10-year career in politics for health and family reasons.

"I've been seeing a doctor here in Vancouver, for the last Thursday and Friday of last week," he said.

"I'm going to sit out this election. I've looked at all options. I just want to regain my health and spend some time with my family, watch our daughter grow up, have some fun for a little while. I need to get back on my feet financially."

All three parties the Liberals, the NDP and the Yukon Party fielded a full slate of 18 candidates by the time nominations closed Monday.

In addition to Everitt,there are three other independents: Freddy Hutter in Kluane, Dale Worsfold in Watson Lake and Elvis Presley in Pelly-Nisutlin.

Sixteen of the 58 candidates are women and 14 are of First Nations ancestry, which is about the same as in 2002.

Liberal MLA Pat Duncan, who also decided not to run again, says it would have been nice to see more women put their names forward.

"I, like many others, would like to see more women run for office," said Duncan, who became the territory's first female premier in 2000.

"However, hats off to all of the 16 who have put their names forward for consideration and indeed to all the candidates who have done that."

Duncan says the combative nature of the legislature is onereason women stay out of territorial politics.