Mr. Silver:   Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Premier. Earlier this year, the Premier and three of his ministers travelled to Vancouver to attend the mineral Roundup.  At least that’s what they told the public.

Also on the agenda was a Yukon Party fundraiser with a gourmet dinner and scenic cruise on the yacht called the Pride of Vancouver at $300 per ticket.  The audience for the event was the mining industry. Mr. Speaker, Yukon’s mining industry is in a slump.  Even the Premier has admitted that himself. The purpose of the trip to Vancouver was to promote the Yukon as a place to do business, not to promote the Yukon Party.

Hansard, December 18, 2013

Mr. Silver:  Earlier in this sitting, I asked the minister why Bill No. 66 goes beyond implementing the Ross River court decision. The minister responded at that time — and I quote: “The amendments to each of the acts that are before the House right now are designed to meet the declarations of the Yukon Court of Appeal.”

Hansard, December 17, 2013

Mr. Silver:   On December 9, the Government of Yukon released its monthly employment report. It confirmed what most Yukoners already know. Our private sector growth has stalled and is, in fact, shrinking. On the other hand, our public sector workforce is growing. The government’s own stats contradict the message that the government is trying to get out — namely, that our private sector economy is growing.

Hansard, December 16, 2013

Mr. Silver: I have a question for the Premier. As we begin the final week of the fall sitting, it is becoming very obvious that the government does not want to debate Bill No. 66, legislation to make several changes to the Yukon mining legislation. There are four days left and the only place so far where we’ve had an opportunity to ask direct questions about this bill is here in Question Period.

Hansard December 12, 2013

Mr. Silver:   Earlier this sitting, I asked about the Premier’s July announcement that the government was working on a new hydroelectric dam. At the time, the Premier admitted that he had no specific project in mind and no idea when it might be built. He also had no idea where the money to build it was coming from. He did tell the Globe and Mail this summer that he thought the project would cost at least $100 million.

Hansard, December 11, 2013

Mr. Silver:   When will we have Yukon-wide 911 services?

Hansard, December 10, 2013

Mr. Silver:  In February 2011, the Government of Yukon announced a funding arrangement agreement with Government of Canada for overseeing tourism marketing. Unfortunately, that funding agreement runs out in March of next year.

There has been no word from this government on whether the funding will be renewed or how it will be replaced if it isn’t. That is half a million dollars a year from Ottawa that is coming to an end. The Government of Yukon is putting together next year’s budget right now.

Can the minister confirm that funding does end in March and what options is the government pursuing to replace this funding?

Hansard December 9, 2013

Mr. Silver:   I have a follow-up question in regard to the new EMS facility at the top of Two Mile Hill. The minister told Yukoners last week that discussions with the RCMP about them using the new dispatch centre are ongoing and that has delayed any potential move of EMS dispatch personnel from the current location in Riverdale. It sounds like the government went ahead and built the building without knowing who was going to occupy the dispatch centre.

Usually you don’t custom build something for a client until you have a signed agreement in place with that client. Mr. Speaker, the upstairs dispatch centre at the new EMS is custom built for the RCMP.

Why did the government build it this way without actually having an agreement in place with the RCMP?

Hansard, December 5, 2013

Mr. Silver:   As mentioned earlier, the grade 11 social studies class is here today in the gallery, but they will also be in Hansard, as they wrote this question I’m going to ask today.

The youth of the Yukon are concerned that the Government of Yukon is not doing enough to solve problems of the youth. There are several issues that the government has failed to address, which will directly affect young people in the territory. The youth of our territory want the Government of Yukon to act on problems that youth are facing today to ensure a better tomorrow.

Here’s an example. There is a constant issue for competitive athletes who strive to excel in sports. The issue has to do with a lack of competition in both our communities and our territory. As a result, many of the athletes must travel to other provinces, other territories and other countries to compete. The cost of travel is by no means cheap and, therefore, athletes are not able to compete as much as they would like, which also decreases exposure of our Yukon athletes.

What steps will the government take to assist competitive youth athletes financially, and are there plans to increase this financial aid?

Hansard December 4, 2013

Mr. Silver:   Earlier this week, the Premier received a letter from the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation in Dawson regarding Bill No. 66. This bill is the government’s response to the 2012 Ross River court decision.

The letter from the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in is only the latest in the string of correspondence the Premier has received from First Nations and from the mining industry. A common message in all of the mail the Premier has received concerns a lack of consultation because of a rushed nature of the government’s actions. The letter from Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in begins, and I quote, “We write this letter under the pressure of an unrealistic deadline imposed by the Yukon Government.”

The Premier had 12 months to meet the court deadlines, but didn’t talk to anyone until the first six months were over and now we’re out of time. Another option available to the government was to ask for an extension from the courts.

It’s not only the Ross River Dena Council who is looking for these timelines. Why was an extension never considered as an option?