Currie Dixon wants to lead the Yukon Party

Currie Dixon has made it official — he wants to be Yukon's premier.

The former cabinet minister on Thursday said that he's running for the leadership of the opposition Yukon Party. The announcement came a day after the party set a date for its leadership election, on May 23, 2020.

The announcement was likely not a surprise for many — Dixon, 34, has long been talked about as a potential party leader.

He was first elected MLA for Copperbelt North in 2011 and held several portfolios as part of Premier Darrell Pasloski's cabinet. In 2016, Dixon decided not to seek re-election, and instead served as the party's campaign chair for that year's election.

The Yukon Party was then ousted, and Paslosksi himself lost his seat and resigned as leader. Since then, MLA Stacey Hassard has been the party's interim leader.

"I think that in 2016, the voters in the territory sent the Yukon Party a message, that we need to make some changes," Dixon said on Thursday.

"We need to push forward and become a more progressive party, a more inclusive party, and a party that really takes seriously the important role that First Nations have in the governance of the territory."

Pasloski's government had a fractious relationship with Yukon First Nations, prompting many Indigenous leaders to publicly back the Liberals in 2016.

Speaking to CBC on Thursday, Dixon seemed to have a campaign-ready slogan at hand, as he repeated variations of the same phrase several times.

"I think that we need to have a new energy and a fresh approach to things," he said, and later, "I think it's time for a fresh approach and a new energy."

"I believe the party has a really strong history of excellent leadership. But we need a new approach and we need new energy."

Dixon, who currently works for a mining supply company, said he believes in fiscal conservatism, diversifying the economy, and supporting small business. He said he thinks he can help rebuild the party to win the next election. 

"I'm going to gather as much input as possible and get as many people engaged as possible and try to build a movement towards a common goal," he said. 

Dixon is the first to throw his hat in the ring for the Yukon Party leadership.

The next territorial election must be called sometime before late 2021.