Whitehorse - The Yukon Liberals have offered to cover the carbon costs of the flight from Calgary to Whitehorse for Paige T. MacPherson, the Alberta Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).

MacPherson is coming to Whitehorse to take part in a presentation hosted by the Yukon Chamber of Commerce regarding the pros and cons of the carbon tax that the federal government will be introducing in 2018. The Albertan will be arguing the CTF's position against the carbon tax, while Yukoner Forest Pearson, a geological engineer, will be presenting the pro side of the debate. All four political parties have been invited to attend the event. 

WHITEHORSE –Jeane Lassen, Yukon Liberal candidate for Takhini-Kopper King, today laid out her party’s plans to address a full spectrum of housing issues across the territory, including the Liberals approach to homelessness.

“Addressing the homelessness issue has never been at the top of the list of the current government,” Lassen said. ‘It will certainly be a top priority for the Yukon Liberals and the vision is simple - we want to eliminate it.”

Lassen said a Liberal government would build on the work of the Vulnerable People at Risk Initiative.

WHITEHORSE – The Yukon Liberals will increase the amount of government information available to Yukoners by amending the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, says Tracy McPhee, Liberal candidate for Riverdale South.  Tracy was the Yukon Information and Privacy Commissioner and Ombudsman from 2007 to 2012.

On the last day of the legislative sitting in 2012, the Yukon Party used a guillotine clause to pass amendments to the ATIPP Act.  The amendments allow the government to deny access to some government documents including briefing notes prepared for ministers - making it one of only three Canadian jurisdictions with such restrictions.  At the time, the Yukon’s Information and Privacy Commissioner Tim Keopke rejected the ‘unprecedented’ amendments, but was ignored by the Yukon Party.

WHITEHORSE – Liberal leader Sandy Silver and Mountainview candidate Jeanie Dendys outlined the Yukon Liberals plan to improve mental health services and improve our justice and health care systems today.  The Liberal platform includes a commitment to refocus the implementation of the Yukon Mental Wellness Strategy and include comprehensive after care services in Yukon communities.

“Improving mental health services has been priority for me since the day I was elected,” Silver said.  “It is probably the issue raised most frequently with me, particularly in rural Yukon.”

WHITEHORSE – Yukon’s public servants need vision and leadership to deliver high-quality programs and service to citizens.  Yukon Liberals will provide that.

“We will not set the public service up to fail,” said Richard Mostyn, Yukon Liberals’ Whitehorse West candidate. “We will provide the vision, direction, tools and resources to get the job done. We will ask the public service for their best advice and fully consider it when making decisions for the benefit of all Yukoners, not just a privileged few.”