Ranj Pillai | |
|---|---|
.png) Pillai in 2022 | |
| 10thPremier of Yukon | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2023 | |
| Deputy | Jeanie McLean |
| Commissioner | Angélique Bernard Adeline Webber |
| Preceded by | Sandy Silver |
| Leader of the Yukon Liberal Party | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Sandy Silver |
| Deputy Premier Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources | |
| In office December 3, 2016 – January 14, 2023 | |
| Premier | Sandy Silver |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | Jeanie McLean (as Deputy Premier) John Streicker (as Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources) |
| Member of theYukon Legislative Assembly forPorter Creek South | |
| Assumed office November 7, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Nixon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 1974 (age 51)[1] Nova Scotia |
| Political party | Yukon Liberal Party |
| Residence | Whitehorse, Yukon |
Ranj Pillai (born January 1974) is a Canadian politician, who has been the tenthpremier of Yukon since January 14, 2023,[2] and leader of theYukon Liberal Party since January 9, 2023.[3] He represents the electoral district ofPorter Creek South in theLegislative Assembly of Yukon, to which he was first elected in the2016 election.[4]
Ranj was born inNova Scotia. He grew up in Brook Village andInverness before moving toAntigonish to complete his high school diploma.[5] His father, Gopi (N.G.) Pillai, is a retiredIndian Hindu doctor fromKerala[6] and his mother, Johnena Lee, is a retired nurse.[7]
Pillai sat as aWhitehorse City Councillor from 2009 to 2012.[8] While on council, he helped bringScotiabank Hockey Day in Canada to Whitehorse and was awarded the 2011 Yukon Tourism Champion Award for his efforts.[9]
On December 3, 2016, Pillai was sworn into the Cabinet of PremierSandy Silver as Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, and Economic Development. He is also the Minister responsible for Yukon Development Corporation and the Yukon Energy Corporation.[10]
Pillai was also the executive director of theChampagne and Aishihik First Nations, and has held senior roles with Northern Vision Development andYukon College.[11]
On November 25, 2022, Pillai announced his candidacy for leader of the Yukon Liberal Party.[12] He was acclaimed party leader in January 2023 because there were no other candidates in the race, thus becoming the premier–designate.[3] He is the secondIndo-Canadian to become premier of a province or territory, afterUjjal Dosanjh inBritish Columbia.[13] He was sworn in as premier on January 14.[2]
Pillai is married and has two children.[14]
| 2021 Yukon general election:Porter Creek South | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Ranj Pillai | 309 | 47.17 | +0.6% | ||||
| Yukon Party | Chad Sjodin | 262 | 40 | +0.6% | ||||
| New Democratic | Colette Acheson | 84 | 12.82 | -1.3% | ||||
| Total valid votes | 655 | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | ||||||||
| Eligible voters | ||||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | -17.18 | ||||||
Source(s) | ||||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Ranj Pillai | 337 | 46.6% | +6.0% | |
| Yukon Party | Mike Nixon | 285 | 39.4% | -3.5% | |
| NDP | Shirley Chua-Tan | 102 | 14.1% | -2.4% | |
| Total | 724 | 100.0% | – | ||
| Whitehorse municipal election, 2009[8] | ||
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Doug Graham | 2,678 | 13.1% |
| Ranj Pillai | 2,422 | 11.8% |
| Betty Irwin | 2,001 | 9.8% |
| Dave Stockdale | 1,986 | 9.7% |
| Florence Roberts | 1,794 | 8.8% |
| Dave Austin | 1,750 | 8.5% |
| Jeanine Myhre | 1,459 | 7.1% |
| Ron Swizdaryk | 1,450 | 7.1% |
| Graham Lang | 1,395 | 6.8% |
| Skeeter Miller-Wright | 1,370 | 6.7% |
| Janet Brault | 1,163 | 5.7% |
| Michael Buurman | 1,021 | 5.0% |
| Total | 20,475 | 100% |
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