Yukon NDP leader Kate White discusses the Fall 2023 Sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly

Thursday, 30 November 2023 16:29

By Stuart Bonell

Yukon NDP leader Kate White speaks with reporters on the last day of the Fall 2023 sitting. (Photo, S. Bonell)

White shared her thoughts about the most recent YLA sitting, including health centre service reductions, the Skagway ore dock, and CASA.

The Fall 2023 sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly wrapped up on November 23. In an interview with CHON-FM, Yukon NDP leader Kate White shared her thoughts on how the session went for her party.

“The NDP, we always ground what we bring forward in the basis of what’s happening around us, and the stories from people,” said White.

“We did a really good job of bringing forward people’s concerns and some of their solutions; whether it was talking about mental health services for youth in rural communities, or physician’s assistants, or really needing to look at things like short-term rentals and restrictions, kind of looking at what B.C. did.”

“Hospitalist program, First Nations land-use planning issues. Everything that we brought forward was based on what had been brought to us by people.”

At the end of the sitting, the Legislative Assembly votes on the Supplementary Budget. According to White, this budget included a couple items that didn’t fit its purpose.

“A supplementary budget is supposed to be used for unexpected costs or unanticipated things,” said White. “There were two things in the budget that I absolutely don’t support […] the 21 million dollars for an ore dock in Skagway, and that was the million dollars for the landlord assistance program.”

“Both of those things could have – should have been planned in the spring budget.”

Over the last few weeks of the Legislative Assembly sitting, the Yukon NDP raised concerns and frustrations about health centre service reductions in the communities. White says that the Government of Yukon can call them whatever they want; but what they are and why they’re happening is clear.

“But, it’s a closure, right?” And the issue […] is that for whatever reason, [the] Yukon government just has an unwillingness to be flexible in things like scheduling.”

“And so, we’ve had people who have been in those positions in rural healthcare and rural nursing stations, who have a real willingness, a real desire to work in the communities they’ve grown to love; but what we’ve seen is [that] when they’ve brought forward the workable solutions, government […] just haven’t worked with them. And then we’ve lost those people in those positions.”

As the year comes to a close, White is anticipating two projects that the Yukon government has an obligation to get up and running early in 2024: opening a walk-in clinic in Whitehorse, and a managed alcohol program in the territory.

“Opening up that walk-in clinic will mean that people don’t have to go to the emergency room for things like prescription renewals,” said White. “They’ll be able to go the emergency room for emergencies, and be able to go to the walk-in clinic for other things, so that’s critically important.”

“And managed alcohol. You know, [the] Yukon has a really complicated relationship with alcohol. And, although we’ve seen the recent crisis with the toxic drug supply, we have had […] hundreds of deaths related to alcohol.”

“Having a managed alcohol program is a way to support people with dignity.”

The Yukon NDP’s Confidence and Supply Agreement with the Yukon Government is scheduled to remain in effect through 2025. The Spring 2024 sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly begins in March.

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