Meet the Yukon's candidates: Lisa Vollans-Leduc looks to break through for the NDP

This is part of a series of profiles of Yukon's five federal election candidates. Another will be published each day.

All candidates were asked the same questions. Answers have been edited for length and clarity. 

It's been a long time in the wilderness for the federal NDP in the Yukon. For a time, the riding was an NDP stronghold, courtesy of then-party leader Audrey McLaughlin, and later, MP Louise Hardy.

Those days are long gone, and the NDP hasn't come close to sniffing a win since Hardy lost to Liberal Larry Bagnell by just 70 votes in 2000. Justin Lemphers did post a strong third-place finish in 2019, taking 22 per cent of the vote. That has New Democrats optimistic that Lisa Vollans-Leduc, a policy analyst with the Yukon government's health department, can break through in a race that has already seen a few surprises.

What about you makes you an ideal candidate for the NDP? 

I spent about 25 years being an advocate and an activist in the community, 18 years up here in Yukon and before that in southern Ontario. And I've been working on honing my skills on advocacy for all people. 

Why did you want to run in this election? 

I wanted to run in the federal election because I find there's a lot of federal issues that need to change. And responding to reconciliation is a priority. It's taking the truth and actually doing something about it.

And the climate crisis, we're living in it right now. We're still in the flooding situation out at Southern Lakes, at Marsh Lake and living that reality for the last well, since June 25th, [when] we started sandbagging and mitigating our property. [It] has really driven home that things need to change in a big way. 

If you win, what's the first issue you'd like to tackle? 

I'd have to see where I'm positioned within the party as Yukon's MP. So I don't know which issues I'll be tackling myself. But I will take the voices of Yukoners and their concerns, and ensure that we have a voice in Parliament and within the party. 

If you could magically transport to any concert, where and what would you see? 

There's so many to choose from. Sigur Ros from Iceland. I would absolutely love to see them play in their country. And I've seen them play a couple of times in Vancouver. 

Wednesday: Jonas Smith, Independent

Thursday: Lenore Morris, Green Party

Friday: Brendan Hanley, Liberals

Tuesday: Barb Dunlop, Conservatives