WHITEHORSE -- Yukon Premier Sandy Silver says he will not seek another term as MLA for Klondike, and has asked the Yukon Liberal Party to initiate proceedings to select a new leader.
Silver says he'll continue to serve as a member of the legislature until the end of his term, with the next election not due until November 2025.
He says in social media posts that he'll serve as premier until the new leader is selected.
Silver was first elected to the Yukon legislative assembly in October 2011 and has been the leader of the party since August 2012.
Silver said at a press conference at the cabinet office in Whitehorse that when his government was formed it had faced a global pandemic, and inherited an 鈥渙utdated education system.鈥�
He appeared to choke up as he described serving as premier as 鈥渁bsolutely the best job of my life.鈥�
鈥淲e did what people said was impossible and we did it with precision,鈥� he said in a tribute to what he called 鈥渢he small team of Klondike Liberals in Dawson.鈥�
Silver said in speaking notes that 鈥渇resh energy and bold ideas鈥� were needed to continue to move the territory forward.
Silver signed a confidence and supply agreement with the New Democrats after his Liberal party failed to win a majority government in the territorial election in April last year.
It came after Liberal incumbent Pauline Frost tied in the riding of Vuntut Gwitchin with the New Democrat candidate.
A judge later declared NDP candidate Annie Blake the winner after drawing lots to break the tie.
Silver is originally from Antigonish, N.S., but has lived in Dawson City since 1998.
He led the mathematics department at Robert Service School in Dawson City before being elected.
He's also a musician, has played in several Yukon bands and has served as the president of the Dawson City Music Festival.
This report by The Canadian Press was first reported Sept. 9, 2022.
