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.

Mr. Silver:   I have a question for the Premier. This morning, the Yukon Supreme Court rejected the government’s unilateral approach to developing a land use plan in the Peel watershed. This follows on the heels of a 2012 court decision the Yukon government lost to the Ross River Dena Council. Now that is two major legal strikes against this government in just three years. The government is currently championing Bill S‑6, which makes major changes to YESAA. Yukon First Nations have said that they will go to court if this bill becomes law. At the same time, the president of Casino Mining Corporation says that S-6 is having a negative effect on the territorial mining industry because it has no support from the First Nations. This government is not doing well when it comes to the courts.

Will the Premier agree to ask the Government of Canada to pull Bill S‑6 so that Yukoners can avoid another lengthy and costly court battle?

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.”

Whitehorse:  Sandy Silver said he is disheartened, but not surprised by the Government of Yukon’s new Peel Land Use Plan.

“I guess we all knew this day was coming but I hoped the Yukon Party government would do the right thing and adopt the recommended Peel Land Use Plan,” he said.  “Instead the government has chosen to go it alone and ignore the views of First Nation governments and hundreds of Yukoners who participated in the land use planning process.”

Whitehorse, Yukon

Sandy Silver today issued the following statement on revelation Government of Yukon hiding Peel numbers:

Mr. Silver: Mr. Speaker, February 25 was the deadline for submissions on the revised Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan. Yesterday the government released information on how many people had participated in the public consultation process. Unfortunately, it kept the most important information to itself — what people think of the new plan. Were they for it, or were they against it? What did people think of the old plan? Were they for it, or were they against it?

Of course, the minister has this information and has chosen not to release it. According to the government — and I quote: “All feedback received during the consultation will be posted” on the www.peelconsultation.ca website.

Will the minister be open and accountable and release this information that people want to hear about? What plan did the public support?

Whitehorse:  The new Peel Land Use Plan opens the majority of the area to development, says Interim Liberal Leader Sandy Silver.

Whitehorse:  Today’s announcement of an extension to the staking ban in the Peel planning region undermines the public’s confidence in the government’s ability to bring this project to a conclusion, says Klondike MLA Sandy Silver.

Whitehorse: The Yukon Liberal Party is condemning the Yukon Party Government for its mishandling of thePeel Planning Process.