Politics in Yukon is definitely egalitarian. Even the territory's name switches between Yukon and the Yukon, often in the same paragraph. Everybody gets a turn at bat.
In 1992, the conservative Yukon Party won the election, led by John Ostashek. In 1996, the NDP won 11 of the legislature's 17 seats under Piers McDonald. In 2000, Pat Duncan led the Liberals to victory, winning 10 seats.
Clearly it was the Yukon Party's turn again. On Monday, the party returned to power under new leader Dennis Fentie, winning 12 seats in a legislature expanded this year to 18 seats. His timing was perfect. The former New Democrat joined the Yukon Party this May and became its leader in June.
His luck was better than Ms. Duncan's. Three of her Liberal MLAs quit in April to sit as independents, complaining that she was ignoring her caucus; the desertion created a minority government. She called this week's election when she seemed likely to lose a budget vote last month. She won her seat, but was the only Liberal to survive.
Mr. Fentie will have much to occupy him in coming months, including a running battle with the Northwest Territories over the route of a proposed Arctic natural-gas pipeline. And, next April, under the Yukon Act passed by Parliament last March, Yukon will gain more control over its land and water. The authority of the federal Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development to boss Yukon around will evaporate entirely by 2013.
Oh, and the act will extend the territorial government's mandate to five years. Maybe the NDP and Liberals should take a book to read in line.