Ryan Leef says he has every intention of responding to a list of questions submitted by the Council of Yukon First Nations "as fast as possible" but that he first wanted to confirm the letter was legitimate.

The Yukon Conservative candidate was the only local contender not to respond to the Council of Yukon First Nations by its requested deadline last week. CYFN's questionnaire included four questions designed to gauge election candidates' positions on several issues.

Leef says "due diligence" has kept him from responding yet. He wanted to confirm the letter was legitimate as the document was "absolutely void of any First Nation leadership signature," he says.

"It was void of the Grand Chief's signature. It was void of any signature from any chief across the Yukon."

Line Gagnon of Calypso Communications, a company contracted by CYFN to develop and distribute the questionnaire, says CYFN emailed the questions to candidates on Sep. 8. She says a CYFN director then met with Leef's campaign director early last week to confirm that he received the document.

Leef says he contacted CYFN Grand Chief Ruth Massie directly, and now intends to respond to the questionnaire.

The four questions focus on issues deemed important to First Nations voters in Yukon, such as self-government, Bill S-6, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report, and missing and murdered indigenous women.

NDP candidate Melissa Atkinson, Liberal Larry Bagnell and Green candidate Frank De Jong have already replied.