Dennis Fentie

Dennis G. Fentie
The Hon. Dennis G. Fentie
7th Premier of the Yukon
Incumbent
Assumed office  November 4, 2002
Preceded by	Pat Duncan (Liberal)
MLA for Watson Lake
Incumbent
Assumed office  1996
Preceded by	John DeVries
Born	November 8, 1950 (1950-11-08) (age 58) Edmonton, Alberta
Political party	New Democrat → Yukon Party
Spouse(s)	Lorraine Nixon
Residence	Whitehorse, Yukon

Dennis G. Fentie, MLA (born November 8, 1950 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian politician. He is the current Premier of Yukon and leader of the Yukon Party, as well as the incumbent MLA for Watson Lake.

Background

In 1962, Fentie moved to Watson Lake^[1]. Prior to entering politics, Fentie was involved in a variety of economic activities in and around Watson Lake. These activities include logging, tourism, mining, trucking, and fuel distribution. Fentie has served as director of both the Association of Yukon Forests and the Watson Lake Chamber of Commerce, and the owner and former manager of Francis River Construction.

Politics

NDP

Fentie was first elected MLA for Watson Lake in the 1996 election as a member of Yukon New Democratic Party, succeeding retiring incumbent John DeVries. He was re-elected in the 2000 election.

Yukon Party

In May 2002, Fentie left the NDP, crossing the floor to sit with the Yukon Party. One month later, Fentie was selected as the next Yukon Party leader. In the 2002 election, Fentie led the Yukon Party to a majority government, defeating incumbent Premier Pat Duncan and the Liberals. The party won 12 of 18 seats available in the Yukon Legislative Assembly.

Fentie's majority government was reduced to minority government status in August 2006, when three Yukon Party MLAs resigned or choose to sit as independents. Copperbelt MLA Haakon Arntzen resigned after facing sexual assault charges and Klondike MLA Peter Jenkins was ousted after refusing to repay a government loan^[2]. McIntyre-Takhini MLA John Edzerza, the only First Nations person in Fentie's cabinet, resigned in August 2006 to sit as an Independent. Edzerza would run in the next election as a member of the NDP.

With a minority government, Fentie called the 2006 election for October 6. Fentie was re-elected for a fourth time in the riding of Watson Lake and the Yukon Party was voted to a second straight majority government. The Yukon Party under Fentie's leadership won 10 of 18 seats in the legislative assembly.

Controversy

After the 2002 election, it was revealed he had been convicted and spent time in prison for heroin trafficking in 1974 when he was 24 years old. During the 2002 election campaign, he made it public that he had spent time in jail for a narcotics charge but did not make the fact it was heroin public since he had received a pardon.^{[3] [4]}

Election results

References

External links

• Government of Yukon Territory - Premier's Website

v • d • e Premiers of Yukon Pearson · Phelps · Penikett · Ostashek · McDonald · Duncan · Fentie

v • d • e   First Ministers of Canada Stephen Harper (Prime Minister of Canada) Gordon Campbell (BC) • Ed Stelmach (AB) • Brad Wall (SK) • Gary Doer (MB) • Dalton McGuinty (ON) • Jean Charest (QC) Shawn Graham (NB) • Darrell Dexter (NS) • Robert Ghiz (PE) • Danny Williams (NL) • Dennis Fentie (YT) • Floyd Roland (NT) • Eva Aariak (NU)