John Ostashek

John Ostashek (May 10,^{[citation needed]} 1936 – June 10, 2007) was a Yukon politician. An entrepreneur, he was elected leader of the Yukon Party in June 1992 and led it to victory in the fall 1992 election in which he also won a seat in the legislature for the first time.^[2]

John Ostashek
4th Premier of Yukon
In office November 7, 1992 – October 19, 1996
Commissioner	John Kenneth McKinnon Judy Gingell
Preceded by	Tony Penikett
Succeeded by	Piers McDonald
MLA for Porter Creek North
In office October 19, 1992 – April 17, 2000
Preceded by	first member
Succeeded by	Don Roberts
Personal details
Born	May 10,[citation needed] 1936 High Prairie, Alberta[1]
Died	June 10, 2007(2007-06-10) (aged 71) Vancouver, British Columbia
Political party	Yukon Party
Residence	Whitehorse, Yukon
Occupation	entrepreneur

Ostashek declined to use the title Premier adopted by his predecessor, Tony Penikett and preferred to be called Government Leader. Ostashek's minority government, which was kept in power with the support of right leaning independent MLAs, was a conservative one which instituted welfare reform and a reduction of public services. Soon after coming into power, his government signed land claims agreements with four First Nations communities in the Yukon which had been negotiated by the previous government.

Ostashek's Yukon Party lost the 1996 election to the Yukon NDP though he retained his seat and became leader of the opposition. In the 2000 election however his Yukon Party was again defeated, this time by the Liberals with Ostashek losing his own seat. He subsequently resigned as Yukon Party leader and retired from politics.^[3]

He died on June 10, 2007, from cancer in Vancouver, after having been medevaced from Whitehorse the week before.^[4][5][6]