HPW Min Clarifies Airport User Fee

Thursday, 12 October 2017 08:36

Mostyn says the provision will not be to tax travellers.

Highways and Public Works Minister Richard Mostyn (Whitehorse West) continued to deny that his government was going to impose a user or service fee at airports as contained in the Public Airports Act. Wednesday was the second straight day Mostyn fended off an attack from the Official Opposition Yukon Party.

He repeated his position from Tuesday in the Legislative Assembly that the government was not going to implement the user fee provision. Outside the Legislature, Mostyn attempted to clarify why the user fee clause was included in the legislation. “Somebody wants to open up a hotdog stand and sell hotdogs in the airport parking lot; how do we collect that fee? There is currently no method of doing that. This allows us to do those things. It opens those opportunities as well. Its not this overarching airport improvement fees. There's lots of reasons why we might want to charge somebody a fee to use our airports and this allows us to do that.”

While the government could collect user fees, as a way of generating more revenues for its cash-strapped coffers, Mostyn says the airline industry was vehemently against any increased fee. “In my consultation with the industry over the last eight months, the industry has been very clear that air transportation in the territory is run on margins and the margins are very tight. The have made it very clear that pennies matter to them. What they characterize as a fragile industry and they have made it very clear to me that an increase--an airport improvement fee like they've put in place in some other airports would be extremely damaging to them.”

Yukon Party interim leader Stacey Hassard (Pelly Nisutlin) says if the government does not want to use its new power, why not take it out of the legislation. “Yukoners learned that the Yukon Liberals are bringing forward a piece of legislation that will give themselves the power to implement an airport tax. The minister claims that he doesn’t want an airport tax, but actions clearly speak louder than words. If the minister does not want one, then why did he have a piece of legislation written that includes the ability for the Liberals to implement an airport tax? If the Liberals are sincere that they do not want this, then they should have no problem amending the legislation to remove that power. Will the minister agree to amend the legislation to remove that power — yes or no?”

Mostyn deflected Hassard’s questioning suggesting it was the Yukon Party who collected $1.5 million in airport parking fees. Yet that measure was put in place to deter residents from leaving abandoned vehicles parked there.

(Dan Jones Whitehorse Oct. 11, 2017)

More from CHON-FM Northern News

Whitehorse Emergency Shelter Sees Another Tragic Death, Family Demands Answers

Bailey's biological father also died at the shelter in 2021, and she claims that the shelter's staff provided conflicting accounts of the circumstances surrounding the death of her Step father.
Yukon Risks Blackouts This Winter as Hydro Power Plant Undergoes Repairs

The Aishihik turbine was critically damaged in October, and repair work is not expected to be completed until spring.
Yukon government accused of budgeting interference

Letters from three independent officers of the assembly question Management Board for changing budgets after approval.
Liard First Nation chief has lost confidence, been suspended by his community

LFN citizens who attended a public meeting Tuesday in Watson Lake overwhelmingly sided with the Deputy Chief and Council members who drafted a resolution to have Chief Stephen Charlie suspended from his duties
Liard First Nation Employees Fired After Advocating for Change

Emeral Poppe and Diana Lee Jimmy have been vocal advocates for change within Liard First Nation, raising concerns over transparency.
YFNED kicks off fifth-annual winter hamper program

"We try to support local as much as we can." - YFNED Acting Director of First Nation Initiatives Kim Rumley
Broken generator at Aishihik Generating Station puts pressure on the Yukon's electricity grid

The 12-megawatt generator failed due to a part malfunction, according to the Yukon Energy Corporation
Intergovernmental Forum takes place in Ottawa - not Yukon - for second year running

Forum discussed collaborative approaches to funding the implementation of Final and Self-Government Agreements.
Suspected contamination at the abandoned Wolverine Mine: Yukon government

The Yukon government has been addressing water treatment issues at the site since the mine's abandonment in 2015
Food For Fines Campaign Returns to Whitehors

Eligible tickets include: Expired parking meter fines, and Two-hour zone fines.
Yukon First Nations leadership and Yukon government leadership meet for 30th Yukon Forum

This was the third Yukon Forum of 2024. The last will be the Intergovernmental Forum in Ottawa in December.
Shot in the Dark Productions premiered two films at the Yukon Arts Centre

Shot in the Dark Productions believes puppets can captivate both children and adults, conveying important environmental science themes through entertainment.
Former Connective staff acquitted of sexual assault and exploitation charges

Judge Gurmail Gill found Omale not guilty due to inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony and lack of forensic evidence.
Whitehorse RCMP officers to start using body-worn cameras

The Yukon RCMP adopts body-worn cameras to bolster trust, accountability, and transparency in its community services
Whitehorse Community Thrift Store volunteers stop work following store manager's termination by its board of directors.

Thrift store society founder Karen Weinberg says the manager was fired for raising safety concerns.
Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin, Yukon NDP blast Yukon government for delays in Dawson Regional Land Use Plan

“Every day this plan doesn’t get done is another day of status quo for the mining industry. It’s starting to feel like this is by design.” - Yukon NDP Leader Kate White
Newly elected Whitehorse Mayor and Council sworn into office

Mayor Kirk Cameron and Councillors Anne Middler, Dan Boyd, Lenore Morris, Eileen Melynchuk, Jenny Hamilton, and Paolo Gallina have taken their oaths of office.
2024 Yukon River fall chum salmon run records dismal numbers

The Porcupine River revealed alarmingly low numbers, with 16,275 and 8,368 fish recorded
Trial of Former Connective residential support worker accused of sexually assaulting a vulnerable client commenced in Whitehorse territorial court on Monday.

Omale, 38 has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a person with a disability stemming from September 2023.
Whitehorse residents join Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition's Actions for Accountability Rally

Dozens of people marked Poverty and Homelessness Accountability week with a walk to the Jim Smith building, where the mother of a homeless man spent the night camping in the parking lot.