Sandy Silver today issued the following statement on Mineral Exploration Roundup 2015:

“I was pleased to attend my fourth Roundup as the MLA for Klondike and to meet with First Nation leaders, companies doing business in the Yukon and miners from my constituency of Klondike.  My main purpose was to convey my support for a strong mining industry in the Yukon. Our party's message was extremely well received.

“The atmosphere has changed considerably from the first event I attended in 2012. Industry and First Nation government representatives were busy discussing strategies to get us through this downturn, while the Yukon Party seems content to pretend all is well and that relations with First Nations are not strained. No one was buying this messaging and many who were hoping for leadership, were disappointed by a government that is in denial.

“A few short years ago, the Premier used his time at Roundup to boast about Yukon leading North America in considering environmental and socio-economic impacts of development and land use planning and the economic certainty they can deliver. This year, Pasloski and his ministers refused to even attend an information session hosted by CYFN on these issues. Industry came out in droves to hear First Nations Chiefs express their concerns over the changes to S-6 that will all but destroy the partnerships and relationships build by his predecessors. In three short years, we went from leading the North to trailing far behind.

“After years of taking credit for an upswing in the mining fortunes of the Yukon the government spent most of the week in Vancouver blaming global market forces for the current downturn.  If the Yukon Party wants a pat on the back for the good times it should be prepared to accept the blame when there is a downturn. It was clear from the government messaging that it takes no responsibility for the role it has played in the current slowdown.” 

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For additional information contact:

Jason Cunning, 667-8942