Parties & Leaders

Yukon New Democratic Party Leader: Todd Hardy

MLA Whitehorse Centre     [ Yukon New Democratic Party ]

Todd Hardy has been on a roller-coaster ride this year, battling leukemia while watching his New Democrats plunge from the top of the opinion polls in January to third-party status months later.

At the start of the year, the 49-year-old father of four seemed poised to become the next premier of the territory. With five of the Yukon's 18 seats, he was the Official Opposition Leader and riding a crest he'd spent the past four years working up to.

Then suddenly the downward plunge. Hardy ousted two veteran rural MLAs who were talking about walking to another party. Within a few weeks, Kluane MLA Gary McRobb and Mayo-Tatchun MLA Eric Fairclough had not only left the party, but joined the Liberals.

That gave the Liberals four seats to the New Democrats' three, leaving the NDP with third-party status.

NDP still strongest, Hardy says

Through it all, Hardy put on a brave face and the party seemed to stand firmly behind him.

"This party is ready to go into that election, more than any other party," Hardy said after the party's annual convention in April.

"I believe that the Yukon Party is struggling to find candidates. They're struggling to find an identity. They're waiting for our platform to come out so they can duplicate it."

Jokes amid chemotherapy

Several months later another devastating blow: Hardy was diagnosed with acute lymphoid leukemia, a cancer of the blood.

Even as he was flown to Vancouver in early August and underwent chemotherapy, Hardy vowed to fight the disease and lead the party into the election.

"That's why I wanted those fixed election dates, so I could plan my illnesses around them," he joked to reporters from his hospital bed on Aug. 16.

Mount Lorne MLA Steve Cardiff assumed temporary duties as acting leader of the caucus.

Carpenter, union agent, karate instructor

Hardy, who has lived in Whitehorse since his youth, was a journeyman carpenter and former business agent for the Carpenters Union before entering the political arena.

In 1996 he ran and won the downtown riding of Whitehorse Centre where he lives. Although the NDP formed the government, Hardy was not appointed to cabinet. Instead he was put in charge of a cabinet commission to examine one of his pet issues, local hire. His second bid for the seat in 2000 was not so successful, losing to Liberal Mike McLarnon by nearly 100 votes.

But Hardy liked politics and several months later, he made an unsuccessful bid to be Whitehorse mayor. When the job of NDP leader came open in the wake of Piers McDonald's resignation in 2002, Hardy was one of two men who put their names forward. He won the leadership only days before the Liberals called a territorial election.

He went on to regain his seat in Whitehorse Centre in 2002.

Hardy is well-known in local karate circles as an instructor. He is also a hockey coach. He has been a key figure in the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, which has recently finished its first home in Whitehorse for a low-income family. He has also sat on the board of Yukon College and the Yukon Energy and Yukon Development Corporations.

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