Yukon government accused of budgeting interference

Friday, 20 December 2024 15:17

Speaker and Members' Services Chair Jeremy Harper (Photo, YG)

Letters from three independent officers of the assembly question Management Board for changing budgets after approval.

Three Yukon organizations have raised their concerns about political interference with their budgets.

In letters to Members’ Services Board Chair Jeremy Harper in November, Elections Yukon, Yukon Child and Youth Advocate Office, and the Yukon Ombudsman wrote to express concerns that the Management Board Secretariat had changed their budgets after being approved.

Another letter, sent from Harper to Finance Minister Sandy Silver, calls the Management Board’s change in practice concerning, and says that it undermines the independence of the affected offices.

Yukon Ombudsman Jason Pedlar agrees. He says that the funding for his offices, and others affected by the Management Board, shouldn’t be influenced by the government now or in the future.

“It’s critically important that the funding for my offices – and the house officers more broadly – are independent,” said Pedlar. “That the government of the day cannot decide that they’re going to reduce a budget, potentially, because of an unpopular decision or an unpopular investigation from our office.”

“I’m not saying that is happening here, but that is the concern about not being independent.”

Yukon Party finance critic Brad Cathers, who also sits on the Members’ Services Board, points out that the political interference being described in the letters is illegal.

“To have a situation where multiple independent officers of the Assembly are expressing concern and citing legislation pointing out that the actions being taken by the Liberal government, under the Minister of Finance, are actually not in compliance with the law,” said Cathers. “This is quite a serious situation.”

Cabinet Communications issued a statement regarding these concerns, saying that they are premature because the budget has not yet been finalized.

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