Peter Jenkins (politician)

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Peter Jenkins (born in Montreal, Quebec on May 1, 1943) is a Canadian politician who was formerly deputy premier and health minister in the territorial government of the Yukon.

Jenkins, a hotelier, first ran for the territorial legislature in 1989 but lost to NDP cabinet minister Art Webster. In that vote, Jenkins' campaign manager was future Liberal Premier Pat Duncan.

Jenkins was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the 1996 election in Klondike for the Yukon Party. Prior to entering provincial politics, he served as Mayor of Dawson City. He defended his seat in the 2000 election, the only Yukon Party member to do so. He assumed the leadership of the party after the election. He held the position as sole MLA and leader until May and June 2002, when Dennis Fentie crossed the floor from the NDP and won the leadership party's leadership, defeating Jenkins and former party president Darcy Tkachuk on the first ballot.

He defended his seat successfully in the 2002 general election and was sworn into Cabinet in November and served as Health Minister and Deputy Premier until November 28, 2005 when he resigned from the party and Cabinet. Mr. Jenkins said this was because "The heart and soul of my community has been ripped out by the inefficiences of government at the municipal level, the territorial level." Premier Dennis Fentie told the press at the time it was due to the ongoing loans file, which involved Jenkins owing $300,000 to the territorial government he was a part of. This eventually was cleared off the books in March 2006. Mr. Jenkins sat as an Independent MLA in the Assembly until dissolution. Jenkins chose not to run in the 2006 general election.