Hanson joins Yukon NDP leadership race

The newest and only contender for the leadership of the Yukon's New Democrats says she will wage a vigorous campaign, even if no one else contests her run.

Elizabeth Hanson officially joined the race last week to replace current NDP Leader Todd Hardy, who plans to step down after a new leader is chosen so he canbattleleukemia.

Hanson, who recently retired as a federalbureaucrat, said the NDP is the last political party to have a vision for the Yukon, citing the party's last term in government during the late 1990s.

"It's time that we re-engage with Yukoners to articulate the vision for the Yukon, post-land claims, post-devolution, going forward," she told CBC News in an interview that aired Monday.

Hanson's declaration to run came days after Mount Lorne MLA Steve Cardiff, who had been the only candidate at the time, dropped out of the race without specifying his reasons.

Hanson admitted she originally put her name into the leadership race before Cardiff dropped out, in order to make it a race.

"[I] hadn't thought of putting my name forward until I realized that it didn't look like it was going to be a contested nomination," she said.

"I think it's really important to the rebuilding and revitalizing of this party that it be contested."

The party will hold its leadership vote on Sept. 26. Potential candidates have until Sept. 5 to submit their nomination papers.

Since its time in government, the NDP has slipped to third-party status in the Yukon, with only Hardy and Cardiff in the territorial legislature.

Hanson said the party needs to rebuild and attract new members if it ever wants to form government again.

In the meantime, she said she hopes more people will join the party's leadership race.