WHITEHORSE - Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes candidate John Streicker represented the Yukon Liberal Party's strong environmental policy last night at the forum hosted by CPAWS and the Yukon Conservation Society.

Streicker emphasized the importance of long term planning in a truly collaborative fashion, involving all levels of government, where the goal is true sustainability.

WHITEHORSE –Liberal leader Sandy Silver says his party would take a different approach to energy planning and would start by setting policy direction to prioritize renewable energy sources and technology.

“This is a position I’ve been presenting in the legislature for the last number of years,” Silver said. “A Liberal government would promote energy policies for electricity, heat and transportation that primarily source future needs from conservation, efficiency and renewable technologies, such as small-hydro, wind, solar, and geothermal sources, positioning the territory as a renewable energy leader in Canada.”

WHITEHORSE – “No sooner did we set the record straight on carbon pricing than the Yukon Party sent out more untruths,” said Liberal leader Sandy Silver today. “Yukoners deserve to hear the facts.”

At a news conference this morning, Sandy Silver and Mt Lorne-Southern Lakes candidate John Streicker presented the unvarnished truth about carbon pricing:

WHITEHORSE – “No Yukon government can impose a carbon tax,” said Liberal Leader Sandy Silver today. “The Taxpayers Protection Act requires any new tax to be agreed to by Yukoners in a referendum.”

The current premier adopted the Vancouver Declaration committing Yukon to “adopting a broad range of domestic measures, including carbon pricing;” carbon pricing in Yukon will be introduced by the federal government in keeping with their commitment to a national carbon pricing strategy.

I rise today on behalf of the Liberal caucus to pay tribute and mark the 45^th annual Earth Day.

Mr. Speaker, Earth Day was originally held on April 22, 1970 in the United States and it was originally intended as a one-time deal. It was to bring awareness to the environmental movement, but now it’s considered as the birthplace of the modern-day movement.

As Yukoners, we have a lot to celebrate when it comes to our environment, to our beautiful scenery, to our fresh air and our clean water.

Sandy Silver today issued the following statement on the Select Committee Report on Fracking:

“At this time there are too many unknowns to support fracking in the Yukon.  While the techniques used in extracting shale gas are understood, more research is needed to explore the environmental, health and water impacts that will result from this process. 

Dear Editor:

What a week. Tuesday morning, the Yukon Supreme Court rejected this government’s unilateral approach to developing a land use plan in the Peel Watershed. This, in conjunction with a 2012 court decision the Government of Yukon lost to the Ross River Dena Council; make for two major legal strikes against this government in just three years.

Monday, we also learned it was the Yukon Party government that insisted on adding the four contentious changes to Bill S-6 that is being debated in the House of Commons.  It is these last minute changes, slipped in with no consultation, that have Yukon First Nations preparing to go to court yet again.

Whitehorse: The long-awaited decision from Justice Veale on the Peel Watershed was released today and, much to the relief of many Yukoners, the Yukon Government’s unilateral plan was rejected.

“It is a win for democracy that the Yukon Supreme Court rejected the unilateral plan created by the Cathers/Pasloski government,” said Yukon Liberal Leader Sandy Silver. “This is a landmark case in respecting consultation processes, democracy, and First Nation treaty rights.”

Question re:  Tombstone Territorial Park management

Mr. Silver:    Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, I attended a public meeting about the Tombstone Territorial Park Management Plan. It requires a review three years after the plan’s approval and that is what is happening this spring.

One of the issues that was raised at the meeting was search and rescue in the park. The park management committee drafted its recommendations that Yukon develop regulations necessary to fully implement the park’s management plan. This will help manage the park and ensure public safety.

The current policy of the government is “hiker beware.” The Department of Environment’s website warns visitors, and I quote: “Yukon Parks staff do not have the capacity or responsibility for initiating search and rescue.”

Inevitably, the Klondike Search and Rescue Association and the RCMP are involved in any rescue. As the numbers of visitors continue to increase, so will the number of people who will encounter problems. How does the government plan to address this concern?

Mr. Brad Cathers

Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources

Government House Leader

Dear Mr. Cathers,

I am writing to accept your invitation to participate in the Select Committee Regarding the Risks and Benefits of Hydraulic Fracturing.