“The goal of this budget is to try to buy Yukoners’ hearts and minds with their own money.

A look at the long term plan shows a spike in capital spending that drops off dramatically after the next election.  What the territory needs is a consistent project building schedule that ensures local contractors receive the lion’s share of the work, and keeps dollars in Yukon.  The largest project in the budget is being built by an Outside contractor.

The document also shows the Yukon Party government has spent down the surplus from $223 million to $56 million in just the last two years alone as it ramps up spending to try and buy votes.

Given this governments’ poor record when it comes to managing capital projects, I am not surprised to see another $4.3 million has been added to the cost of the F.H. Collins school, bringing the total to $55.3 million.  In the last year the government has been forced to return to management board to ask for yet more money on this over budget project.

In my home community I was disappointed to see that the entire term of this government will pass without the Yukon Party’s 2011 campaign promise to build a new recreation centre being fulfilled.  It is a reminder to Yukoners that this government cannot be trusted.  Similarly, a commitment to pave the Dawson airport runway is left out of the budget.

This is one of the projects on the government’s IOU list as it heads into this years’ election. The budget fails to deliver on promises of a new francophone school, a mental health strategy or the fiber optic line.  All of these items are just political IOUs now. 

The Premier continues to talk about Yukon becoming a net contributor to Canada, the reality is that Yukon relies on Ottawa for 88% of our budget. We are no further ahead in terms of standing on our own two feet today than 14 years ago when the Yukon Party came to office.

Finally, I am pleased to see the Ross River wastewater treatment facility and the expansion of our water monitoring network.”

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For more information call:

Jason Cunning, 667-8942