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Yukon Legislative Assembly
Whitehorse, Yukon
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 — 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: I will now call the House to order. We will proc= eed at this time with prayers.
Prayers
Daily Routin=
e
Speaker: We will proceed at this time with the Order Pape= r.
Introduction of visitors.=
Introduction=
of
Visitors
Hon. Mr. Silver: I would like to ask all of my colleagues in the Legislative Assembly today to help me in welcoming some f= olks of the political nature, both present and past, here for the celebration of= the 40th anniversary of the wholly elected Cabinet. We have in the gallery Dan Lang. We have Val Hodgson, Doug Graham, Ma= yvor Graham, Patrick Michael, and Justin Lemphers.
Hon. Ms. Dendys: I ask my colleagues to help me= in welcoming some folks to the gallery today for a tribute that we will be doi= ng. With the Mountainview ladies golf club, we have Sheila Vanderbyl and Heather McIntyre. From Run for Mom, we have Val Pike, Anneka Sarek, and Heather Milford. I would also like to welcome Ellen Andison. Welcome today.
Applause
Mr. Hassard: I would like all members to help me wel= come someone else to the gallery today — Doug and May= vor’s little boy Richard is here with them.
Applause
Hon. Mr. Silver: I also noticed that in the gal= lery is Janet Moodie — if everybody can help in welcoming Janet as well.= p>
Applause
Speaker: Are there any further introductions of visitors?=
Tributes.
TRIBUTES
In remembrance of Canadian National War Memo= rial and Parliament terrorist attack
Mr. Istchenko: I rise today on behalf of the House to pay tribute on the fifth anniversary of the deadly attacks that took place = in Ottawa and Québec in October 2014.
On October 23, 2014, Cana= da witnessed an unprecedent act of non-partisan solidarity as Stephen Harper crossed the floor of the House of Commons to shake hands and embrace both N= DP leader Thomas Mulcair and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. It was a somb= er yet impactful day as parties came together the day after two separate and unrelated yet deadly terrorist attacks took place against members of the Canadian military on Canadian soil.
On October 20, 2014, Warr= ant Officer Patrice Vincent was killed while on duty in a deliberate ISIL-inspi= red hit-and-run incident in Québec. Vincent died of injuries sustained a= fter a vehicle ran into him and a fellow soldier who survived the attack.
Two days later, on Octobe= r 22, 2014, another terrorist attack took place, this time at the Canadian Nation= al War Memorial on Parliament Hill. Corporal Nathan Cirillo, a 24‑year-o= ld member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, a reservist infa= ntry unit based in Hamilton, Ontario, stood by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, = his ceremonial rifle unloaded in accord with the standard practice. Corporal Cirillo was fatally shot by a lone gunman who then charged into Parliament, where he was shot and killed by the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers and RCMP officers.
Warrant Officer Patrice V= incent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo were targeted for their service to our country.= We are forever grateful to our brave men and women who sacrifice every day to protect our way of life. Today is an important day of reflection. This trag= ic anniversary reminds us that Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism= . We must continue to stand vigilant and ensure that we continue to fight against the threats to our security.
To quote former Prime Min= ister Stephen Harper from his national address to the nation five years ago ̵= 2; and I quote: “But let there be no misunderstanding: We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated. In fact, this will lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts and those of our national security agencies to take all necessary steps to identify and counter threa= ts and keep Canada safe here at home…”
The Prime Minister went o= n the next day to say, during an address in the House of Commons — and I qu= ote: “… we are here, in our seats, in our chamber, in the very heart of our democracy, and our work goes on.”
Today I want to pause and remember Corporal Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent in this great country that we call Canada. Let democracy continue to be our strengt= h. We are all Canadians. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau vowed not to let those threats define Canadians. He said that they do not get to change us. Let us come together and stand against the threat of terrorism on our soil and remember that we are stronger together.
I want to close with the = words of the former Leader of Canada’s Official Opposition, Thomas Mulcair = 212; and I will quote: “We will stand up and we will stand together. We wi= ll preserve, and we will persevere, we will prevail, because that is what Canadians have always done together. That is what we do best together.̶= 1;
Lest we forget.
Applause
In recognit=
ion of 40th
anniversary of first wholly elected Yukon Cabinet
Hon. Mr. Silver: I rise today on behalf of the Yukon Liberal government to pay tribute to the first wholly elected Cabinet= in Yukon. It is very hard for us to imagine a government not headed by people elected by Yukoners, but in fact it was 40 years ago today that Yukon’= ;s first wholly elected Cabinet was sworn in. Its members were the Government Leader Chris Pearson and four ministers: Dan Lang, Doug Graham, Meg McCall, and Peter “Swede” Hanson. Judging by the look of the two members who are in the Legislative Assembly today, they must have started t= heir political career before their teens. They definitely have aged well.
This change represents a = key development in Yukon’s journey to self-government and to self-determination — a journey that did not happen overnight, Mr.&nbs= p;Speaker. From the first wholly elected legislative body in 1909, it would take 70 ye= ars to transform what was essentially a colonial government to a responsible government accountable to Yukon people. This is not to suggest that Yukon politicians were either quiet or inactive in their quest for self-governmen= t. Many, many actively advocated for political change and greater self-determi= nation here in Yukon.
There were some advances = in the 1960s through the Advisory Committee on Finance. It provided an early opportunity for elected members to be involved in the development of budget estimates, for example. But the more significant chan= ge came in 1970, when Commissioner Jim Smith created an Executive Committee, includ= ing two Members of the Legislative Assembly.
While these members of th= e Executive Committee were nominated by members of this House, they soon found themselv= es defending government positions in the Assembly in the face of questions and criticisms from other members. Over the course of the = 1970s, the elected component of the Executive Committee grew until elected members held the majority; however, the head of government was still the federally appointed Commissioner who continued to chair the Executive Committee and oversee the day-to-day operations of the Yukon government. This changed in October 1979 when Jake Epp, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, is= sued new instructions to the Commissioner. These instructions created the Execut= ive Council, or Cabinet, with all the ministerial portfolios in the hands of elected members. Essentially, an elected Cabinet was responsible for the da= ily operations of this government.
Mr. Speaker, as I sa= id earlier, it seems strange to think of a government being overseen by anyone other than elected people. Well, it is no longer an issue. We are all used = to members of Cabinet being directly accountable to Yukon citizens and to this Assembly for their directions and for their actions — and so, in a democracy, we should be.
Over the past 40 years, a= ll of the parties in this House have, at different times, been the government of = the day. While we may differ in our views of the decisions and actions of vario= us governments, I doubt that anyone here today would argue about these decisio= ns or actions being in the hands of a wholly elected Cabinet. So, we take this time to acknowledge an important development in our political advancement, = and we want to thank those who advocated for greater self-determination here in Yukon.
Applause
In recognit=
ion of
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Hon. Ms. Dendys: I rise today on behalf of the Yukon Liberal government to pay tribute to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a= nd I thank my colleague, the Minister of Health and Social Services, for allowin= g me to do so.
I am sure that every sing= le Yukoner has known someone in their life who has been affected by cancer. We= are all affected. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Canada. One in eight women will be diagnosed in their lifetime. It is also the third most common cancer among all Canadians.
Many of us have loved one= s in our lives who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. When you have something s= o life-changing impact you or your loved ones, you understand the importance of being vigil= ant. In Yukon, nearly 25 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, but = that number doesn’t represent all the stories of Yukoners affected by brea= st cancer. Those are 25 Yukoners who have had their lives put on hold to start treatment. Each year, they show us their strength. That’s 25 families providing support.
Sixteen years ago, on Sep= tember 28, just before my youngest son’s fourth birthday, I was one of those Yukon women diagnosed with breast cancer and it changed my life. Suddenly I= was launched into a flurry of tests, treatments, and surgery. I was faced with decisions, the first one being about life itself. A cancer diagnosis absolu= tely forces you to reassess your life. Thankfully, I am one of the lucky ones. I= am grateful that I am able to say that I was here to raise my two sons and to = do so many amazing things in my career that make a difference in the lives of Yukoners every day.
We are lucky to have such dedicated health care professionals and volunteers in our community. They ensure that we are doing everything we can to reduce the risk of breast can= cer in Yukon and to make sure that everyone is supported.
I would like to acknowled= ge and thank several organizations that help to reduce the risk of breast cancer in Yukon: the individuals who volunteer and make Run for Mom part of their ann= ual Mother’s Day celebration — thank you very much — and ever= yone involved in fundraising for Karen’s Fund, which provides financial ai= d to women with breast cancer. Specifically, today I would like to acknowledge t= he Mountainview Golf Club Ladies League. They have hosted four fundraising golf tournaments in the last four years, raising $20,000 for the local charity, = Karen’s Fund, which benefits women in Yukon and northern BC who have been diagnosed with breast cancer — thank you.
The Yukon Hospital Founda= tion tirelessly worked to fundraise for the cancer care fund — a fund that provides a comprehensive range of care and is better able to support cancer patients closer to home. The Yukon Sexual Health Clinic and Yukon WomenR= 17;s MidLife Health Clinic offer health care and easy access to information for women to address many of their health needs.
This is an issue that tou= ches everyone deeply. We are so fortunate to live here in a place where people a= re always willing to help out at times of need to make sure that everyone is c= ared for and looked after.
Work has been done to inc= rease the rates of detection and new technologies are being employed by Whitehorse General Hospital, meaning that we are able to diagnosis people earlier and = give them a better chance at life. I encourage Yukoners to get screened. Early detection can be life-saving.
Applause
Ms. McLeod: I am pleased to rise on behalf of the Yu= kon Party Official Opposition to recognize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
There are so many types o= f cancer affecting people around the globe, and none is more or less important than another to recognize, educate people about, and promote awareness of. Of the more than 100 types of cancer that are known to affect humans, the one with= the highest rate of diagnosis and arguably one of the easiest types to detect f= or many is breast cancer.
Breast cancer makes up ap= proximately 25 percent of diagnosed cases of cancer per year in Canada, affecting 26,300 women in 2017 alone. Of course, we know that breast cancer does not discriminate, as over 200 men are diagnosed each year as well.
This fall, the fourth ann= ual HOPE calendar was released, featuring breast cancer survivors from the Yukon to raise funds to directly support those battling the disease here at home and= to be dispersed through Karen’s Fund. Fundraising efforts that help Yuko= ners directly are to be commended. The financial stress that goes hand in hand w= ith battling cancer is immense, and every dollar helps.
I would like to take a mo= ment to thank those who work tirelessly in our community to raise money and awarene= ss year after year for breast cancer and for other causes that hit close to ho= me for all of us. You are champions of the cause, and your continued dedication helps Yukoners in their cancer journeys year after year.
Applause
Ms. White: I rise on behalf of the Yukon NDP caucus = to acknowledge October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We can all celebrate = the science behind mammograms and the role that they play in early identificati= on of breast cancer. We all agree that the Yukon community is supportive and loving, and we’re grateful for our local champions. But today, I want= to talk about density, Mr. Speaker — more accurately, the density of breasts. This is because this has been a new education for me.
The denser the breast, th= e higher the risk of getting breast cancer. Having dense breasts is a greater risk factor for breast cancer than having a family history of breast cancer. Although mammograms are a highly effective tool for women with fatty breast= s, mammograms alone are not enough for women with dense breast tissue, and tha= t is because mammograms alone miss 50 percent of breast cancers in dense breasts.
The lack of federal recommendations means that breast density is treated differently according to where people live. This brings me back to Yukon, w= here we don’t currently have a breast-screening program for dense breasts, which means that Yukon women who are at a high risk of breast cancer are ha= ving to look elsewhere for the screening that they deserve, and that is just sim= ply not good enough.
Today, in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I urge us to do better and to m= ake the changes required so that all who require additional screening for breast cancer are covered under our existing system.
Applause
Point of personal privilege
Hon. Mr. Silver: = On a point personal privilege, I would just like Hansard to reflect that my trib= ute today was not on behalf of just the government but also of all Members of t= he Legislative Assembly.
Speaker: Thank you for that clarification.
Are there any returns or documents for tabling?
Tabling Returns and Documents
Hon. Mr. Pillai: = Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 22 of the Yukon Development Corporation Act, I have for tabling the 2018 annual report = for the Yukon Development Corporation.
As well, I also have for tabling the 2018 annual report for the Yukon Energy Corporation.
Ms. Hanson: I have for tabling today a letter dated August 2, 2019 from Dr. Floyd McCorm= ick.
Ms. Van Bibber: I have= for tabling screenshots of messages from the Premier to a private citizen.
Speaker: Are there any furt= her returns or documents for tabling?
Are there any reports of committees?
Are there any petitions to be presented?
Are there any bills to be introduced?
Are there any notices of motions?
Notices of Motions
Mr. Hutton: I rise to = give notice of the following motion:
THAT this House urges the Government of Yukon to continue the process of updating the legislative regime for animal protection and dog control by introducing amendments to the Animal Protection= Act in the Legislative Assembly.
Speaker: Are there any furt= her notices of motions?
Is there a statement by a minister?
Ministerial Statement
Improvements to north Klondike Highway=
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: = Our Liberal government is committed to making strategic investments to build healthy, vibrant, and sustainable communities across the territory. We are making great progress toward a diverse, growing economy that provides good = jobs for Yukoners in an environmentally responsible way. An important aspect of = our work is upgrading Yukon’s aging infrastructure to prepare for a prosperous future.
This summer, I was proud to join Yukon’s Member of Parliament, Larry Bagne= ll, to announce major improvements for the north Klondike Highway, one of the Yukon’s busiest highways. This is a long highway that links the vital tourism and mining districts of the Klondike and Silver Trail to the rest of the territory and ultimately to the south. It is also an important link to = the interjurisdictional Dempster Highway corridor.
Since becoming Minister of Highways and Public Works, I have heard from residents= and commercial and political leaders of Dawson about how important the road is = and how important it is to reconstruct it, and so we were pleased when the fede= ral government agreed to contribute $118 million through the national trad= e corridors fund. The Yukon government’s contribution will be $39 million ov= er the next eight years. A total of $157 million in funding will go toward reconstructing, rehabilitating, replacing, and resurfacing critical portion= s of the highway between Carmacks and the Dempster Highway cut-off.
Starting in 2020, these improvements will make the highway wider and improve safety.= It will improve the road’s capacity, reducing weight restrictions and the length of time that they are imposed. The new road will be more resilient a= nd will incorporate innovations in erosion control, including oversize culvert= s to handle changing precipitation and runoff. The new service will also be easi= er to maintain, and it is expected to reduce maintenance costs by one-third. <= /span>
The size and scope of the project will make this the largest single capital pro= ject in the territory’s history. It will benefit communities in north Yukon and the Northwest Territories and connect Yukoners with an increasing numbe= r of economic opportunities, including Yukon’s resource sector.
I spoke to construction companies, engineering firms, tourism outfits, retail= ers, municipalities, First Nations and their development corporations, miners and contractors, and their enthusiasm for the project cannot be overstated. Thi= s is in addition to the millions of dollars our Liberal government is inves= ting to improve Yukon’s road transportation network. The new Nares River bridge is nearly complete — the first project to use our new value-ba= sed procurement method, which includes criteria for First Nation participation = and northern experience and knowledge. We are also working together with the Te= slin Tlingit Council to construct a safer, more reliable and more sustainable Nisutlin Bay bridge that can accommodate increases in traffic while also improving access for pedestrians and cyclists. Mr. Speaker, we are pro= ud to be working with our partners to invest in these roads and bridges that k= eep our communities connected and help grow our economy.
Mr. Hassard: I would j= ust like to thank the minister for the re-announcement of the re-announcement f= rom last week of the announcement from June. But before the minister finishes h= is victory lap, maybe he could stop long enough to tell those construction companies, engineering firms, tourism outfits, retailers, municipalities, F= irst Nations, development corporations, miners, and contractors just how many ti= mes he is going to re-announce this project before work actually begins. Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, we are curious: When we will actually see a shovel in the ground? It is unfortunate. I don’t think that the Liberals realize this yet, but governing doesn’t stop when you take the photo opportunity and eat the cake. You actually need to deliver as well. An example of that is the almost half-billion dollars that the Liberals jointly announced with Prime Minister Trudeau back in September of 2017 for the Gateway project. We’ve seen zero progress there. Forgive us for being a bit sceptical about the Liberals’ ability to actually deliver on these promises.
The minister also referenced the national trade corridors fund in his statement= . In March 2018, he stated that the government submitted seven applications to t= he federal government for this fund. Among those applications were $116 m= illion for the Alaska Highway, $64 million for the Campbell Highway between R= oss River and Faro, $39 million for other parts of the Campbell Highway, $= 70 million for airports, and, of course, the Klondike Highway application. We continue= to hear about the re-announcement of the Klondike Highway application, but we would like to know what is happening with those other applications as well.=
We have asked multiple times in this House for the government to provide us details about what they were requesting as part of these applications and t= hey have refused to provide that information. We have also asked them for status updates on these applications, but again, they have refused to provide that information as well.
Just yesterday, this same minister delivered a ministerial statement where he sa= id that he believed that government should be open and transparent so that Yukoners know what their government is doing. Yet, for a year and a half, t= hey have refused to provide us with information on all of these applications fo= r millions of dollars to the national trade corridors fund. Mr. Speaker, we are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers’ mone= y. I think that Yukoners have a right to know what the government is doing.
We are left wondering when the Liberals will finally live up to their commitme= nt to be open and transparent and provide us with the details on these infrastructure applications and whether they will tell us if these applicat= ions have been accepted or rejected by Ottawa.
Ms. Hanson: Mr. S= peaker, it is my pleasure to rise on behalf of the Yukon New Democratic Party in response to today’s ministerial statement about next year’s proposed funding for improvements to the north Klondike Highway. The highway improvements that were announced this past summer, then again in this fall’s throne speech, then again during debate last Wednesday, and ag= ain today will not begin until next year. Thus far, this spending has been re-, re-, re-announced — like a Russian nesting doll or like Leonardo DiCa= prio trapped in a dream within a dream within a dream. Each announcement sets us down a path to another. At our current pace, a north Klondike Highway improvement announcement will re-occur every 22 days. If this pace keeps up= , we can count on six more announcements before this Legislative Assembly is even presented with a budget appropriation related to this project. It truly represents a sea change in the potential for government photo opportunities= and speaking engagements. As for this re-announced project, of course the NDP supports proposed investments in the north Klondike Highway. The Yukon NDP = has always supported investments to improve Yukon’s highways and roadways= .
Mr. Speaker, governments are increasingly endeavouring to view major infrastructure investments through a climate lens. Recently, the Government of Canada began applying a climate lens to major government infrastructure projects. The climate lens has two components: a greenhouse gas mitigation assessment whi= ch measures the anticipated greenhouse gas emissions impact of an infrastructu= re project; and a climate change resilience assessment which employs a risk management approach to anticipate, prevent, withstand, respond to and recov= er, and adapt to climate change-related disruptions or impacts. This lens is intended to encourage improved choices by project planners in both the amou= nt of greenhouse gas emissions a project will emit and how resilient it will b= e to increasing changing climate.
In speaking to the media about this project, the minister indicated that this investment would improve north Klondike Highway climate resiliency. We are curious: Due to the inclusion of such a substantial federal investment, has this project had a climate lens assessment conducted on it? If yes, could t= he minister share that assessment with this House?
Mr. Speaker, the work that we do in this Legislative Assembly is important. Using a ministerial statement to re-announce a project for the fourth time displays= a deep disregard for the vital work we are charged to do on behalf of Yukon citizens.
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: = Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I’m a little disappointed with the tone of the mem= bers opposite, but that’s all right. I’m glad we are talking about it this afternoon on the floor of the Legislative Assembly and outside of deba= te.
The members of the Yukon Party have asked for more information about a bunch of hypotheticals, and yet when they have a concrete proposal in front of them, they don’t ask any questions about that. It’s always about the = next thing. They’re always — it’s the next thing, the next thi= ng; the grass is always greener on the other side of the road or something. But we’re dealing with a tangible project right here: a $157‑million investment in north Yukon. It’s a conduit for industry, retail, busin= ess, tourists, and our citizens who are travelling between communities and who h= ave complained about the state of that road, and we are making tangible efforts= to improve it, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, on the floor of the Legislature we are providing information, and yet on the other hand, they complain about the lack of information being provided. I can’t really square that.
The New Democrats, I’m very happy to say —
Some Hon. Member: (Ina= udible)
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: = — and I hear them on the other side now chiming in on this debate — are supportive of improvements to our highway network. I hope that includes brushing, Mr. Speaker. I hope that includes brushing in the future, but this is a tangible improvement to the north Klondike Highway in terms of our roadbed. We are working very hard in developing these roads, bridges, and culverts to mitigate the spread of invasive species. In building this new roadbed, we are going to be lowering the cost of maintaining that road, requiring less work. That in turn will help lower the greenhouse gas emissi= ons because it will take less work to maintain the road. That is one of the thi= ngs. We’re also building climate mitigations into the project, which is another reason why we’re going ahead with this and why the federal government is actually supporting this record-setting capital project in the territory. So, we are very pleased with this project.
As well, just to clarify the point — Gateway — he keeps talking ab= out Gateway. Gateway is in progress, Mr. Speaker. Again, next year, there = will be $25 million spent on Gateway alone, and we’re working on other projects as well.
So, Mr. Speaker, more to come — I will have more statements in the future on those.
Speaker: This then brings u= s to Question Period.
QUESTION PERI= OD
Qu= estion re: Queen’s Printer Agency and Central Stores services <= /p>
Mr. Hassard: Mr. = Speaker, as you know, the Liberal Cabinet instructed all government departments to f= ind up to two‑percent cuts to their operation and maintenance budgets. No= w we know the Liberal government has made cuts to Queen’s Printer and Cent= ral Stores. Employees found out just minutes before the announcement was made public and contractors had to find out from us in the opposition — sh= ort notice to the employees. The minister does not even have the guts to meet w= ith the employees to deliver the news himself.
We have now heard that employees who are wondering what’s next for them = are being told, “Don’t worry. Just wait.” We have heard that employees who are wondering what the timeline is for answers are just being told, “Don’t worry. You’ll know eventually.”
This is unacceptable management and it is not leadership. Can the Minister responsible for the Public Service Commission tell us why the Liberal government is showing such little respect to those public servants?<= /p>
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: = I’m happy to address this issue on the floor of the Legislature this afternoon.=
I would like to begin by respectfully correcting the member opposite. There a= re no cuts involved here. We are very deliberately and very carefully supporti= ng and respecting our employees and the work they do. The people who work for = this government are one of our most important assets. Their experience, their professionalism, their skills, their general service to Yukon citizens is absolutely one of the most important resources we have in this government.<= /span>
I cannot state that clearly enough, which is why, in dismantling an archaic a= nd now virtually obsolete service to the government, we are making sure that t= hose employees are looked after and respected. We are working with the employees’ union to make sure that they are well looked after. We have had meetings with the union. We have worked and informed them — as so= on as the decision was made — of our intention. We worked with the union= and then with the employees. We are doing it in a respectful way and we are mak= ing sure that there will be no job losses or impact to our people as a result of this change in service.
Mr. Hassard: I think t= he member opposite maybe should find a dictionary and look up the word “respect”. We know that the Liberals have instructed all departments to find two‑percent cuts to their operation and maintenan= ce budgets. The minister yesterday claimed that the Liberal cuts at Queen̵= 7;s Printer and Central Stores are going to save government $1.6 million p= er year. So we asked the minister to provide us with evidence or the analysis showing how this is possible. We are especially interested in how it is possible to set a net saving for government if, as the minister claims, the= re will be no job losses. But as we know, Mr. Speaker, the minister’= ;s claims don’t always stand up to fact-checking.
The minister refused to provide the evidence yesterday, so we’ll try again today to see if he will actually provide that evidence to this Legislature.=
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: = Change is always very difficult. Restructuring and shedding archaic means of servi= ng both our clients within government and without comes with a certain disrupt= ion that can be very, very difficult on people. I understand that — I tru= ly do. That is why, in going through this process, as soon as the decision was taken by this government, we reached out to the union and we started working with our partner in the Yukon Employees’ Union to make sure that our employees were cared for in accordance with the collective agreement, which= we signed and recently ratified just this last year.
Mr. Speaker, that is very, very important to this government. Our civil service — = the people who serve the citizens of this territory — is one of our most precious resources, and serving and making sure that they are looked after = is absolutely key to this government.
Mr. Speaker, as a result of this change in service, we are actually getting rid of posit= ions but not people — because the people who have served this territory fo= r sometimes decades have a wealth of knowledge that we have to keep and keep within our walls.
Mr. Hassard: We certai= nly didn’t get any answers there, so we’ll try this again. <= /p>
Yesterday, when we asked the Liberals about their political direction to all departmen= ts to find two‑percent cuts to operation and maintenance, the Minister of Highways and Public Works made an interesting comment. He spoke about how t= he Liberals have started implementing the cuts and stated — quote: ̶= 0;We have done what we said we would do. We kept Highways and Public Works to tw= o percent”. Now those are his words, Mr. Speaker.
That two percent works out to about $2.8 million in cuts. According to= the minister, the cuts to Queen’s Printer and Central Stores only amount = to about $1.6 million. We are left wondering: Where is the additional $1.= 2 million going to be cut from? Is it Fleet Vehicle Agency? Is it the travel desk? Ma= ybe Property Management?
Mr. Speaker, could the minister tell us who is next on the chopping block?
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: = It’s becoming a theme, Mr. Speaker, about hypotheticals and fearmongering. =
Mr. Speaker, I would like to respectfully correct the member opposite. We are not laying anyone off as a result of the restructuring of Queen’s Printer and Central Stores. We are not cutting positions. We are not cutting people, Mr= . Speaker. We are restructuring our government so that we start to provide modern services.
This government is restructuring, modernizing, and getting rid of archaic servic= es that no longer serve the modern society that we live in, and in doing so, M= r. Speaker, we are looking after our employees — our long-serving talented people — who are going to be used within the civil service in new positions = and will continue to serve the citizens in the territory in a way that is both meaningful and respectful.
Question re: Energy retrofits
Ms. Van Bibber: Mr. Speaker, on October 14, 2016, the Minister of Community Services promised Yukoners that the Liberal government would inve= st $30 million per year in retrofits to buildings. His exact words were — quote: “We are talking about investing significantly, right — $30 million a year.” After three years of a Liberal government, that should mean that they have invested $90 million in to= tal in retrofits by now.
Can the minister confirm whether the Liberals have lived up to this campaign commitment — yes or no?
Hon. Mr. Streicker: <= /b>I would really love to get that quote, because that is not what I recall sayi= ng. I actually wrote to the members opposite asking them if they could please supply that quote to me. I remember talking with the media that day. I reme= mber saying to them that we were going to invest heavily in retrofits. I remember saying that our goal was $30 million and that we were going to build toward it.
I am very happy to say that part of that work that came out and was announced= in the throne speech is within my own department to look at how it will help Yukoners with their private residences and commercial properties — getting to retrofits — because we really do need to invest. The good news, Mr. Speaker — and the progress that is being made — = is that as those dollars get invested, it lowers our citizens’ costs as well. It lowers our retailers’ costs as well, because they will have = to spend less on heating. It’s good for all of us. I am so happy that we= are moving toward $30 million. I now ask again, publicly: Can you please s= hare the quote? Because I don’t recall saying that. I recall saying that we were working toward $30 million, as is in our platform.
Ms. Van Bibber: Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, it was a commitment that the minister made to the media during a press conference. There is a video of him saying this on Liberal social media, si= nce he seems to have forgotten.
On October 29, the Premier, in the midst of the election campaign, sent a mess= age to a Yukoner claiming that the Yukon Liberals had already negotiated with t= he Trudeau Liberals that they would provide Yukon with $30 million per ye= ar in green energy retrofits. I tabled those private messages here this aftern= oon.
So, Mr. Speaker, where is the $30 million?
Hon. Mr. Pillai: = Mr. Speaker, the Government of Yukon has allocated over $120 million in territorial government and federally secured funding to implement energy-efficiency initiatives throughout the Yukon. I would like to just take a moment to just thank the Energy branch, which has done a phenomenal job of taking a very robust budget, ensuring that they have the right capacity — that they have aligned to identify the projects and continue to move that forward. = span>
Thanks to a joint investment with the Government of Canada, the Government of Yuko= n is able to dedicate $30 million annually specifically for energy-efficient retrofits for residential, commercial, and institutional buildings. Being m= ore energy efficient is our first line of action in addressing increasing deman= ds for energy. There has been good progress made on this and we’ll conti= nue to make good progress. This is why the Government of Yukon is offering retr= ofit incentives to making upgrades to insulation, improving window quality, and draft-proofing a home, commercial, or institutional building accessible and affordable.
I’ll wait for question 3. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Ms. Van Bibber: So, I = guess I will ask then: How much of the $30 million is the Government of Yukon investing in retrofits this year?
Hon. Mr. Pillai: = Mr. Speaker, once again — lots of work being done, not only on the retrofit piece = but ensuring that we continue to enhance on the microgeneration program as well= .
Out of this particular program right now, we have —
Some Hon. Member: (Ina= udible)
Hon. Mr. Pillai: = Mr. Speaker, I apologize — I’m being distracted by the shouting across the w= ay.
Some Hon. Member: (Ina= udible)
Hon. Mr. Pillai: = But we’re looking at — between 2019 and 2023 — $23.7 mil= lion which goes toward homeowners, businesses, and municipal governments; First Nation governments — $2.3 million; biomass retrofits, residential and institutional — $1.2 million; $0.2 million which goes toward First Nation municipal governments; residential retrofits, social st= aff housing, and First Nation housing — $8.4 million; as well as with First Nation housing, $6.96 million; building retrofits — instit= utional — $50.5 million; community-based retrofit projects under small communities — which I work with my colleague in Community Services on — $31.4 million. The total combined funding from the governments= of Canada and Yukon — $120 million.
Question re: Climate lens policy
Ms. White: Last week, = we tabled the motion urging the Government of Yukon to develop a climate lens = that would see the government assess the greenhouse gas emissions and climate ch= ange resiliency of all government infrastructure, policy and legislative decisio= ns. In an interview on Friday, the Premier said that this is something that the government already does. That’s great news, Mr. Speaker.<= /p>
Taking greenhouse gas emissions and the potential impacts of climate change into account when making government decisions is the kind of action we need to tackle the reality of a territory in a climate emergency.
Can the Premier share the climate lens that his government uses to assess government investments and decision-making, and can he tell us when his government implemented this wide-ranging policy?
Hon. Mr. Silver: = I will comment on what I have spoken about in the media — but suffice it to = say that, from the throne speech, we sent the message that if you take a look at our track record on our platform commitments and at our mandate letters, we campaigned to Yukoners that you can have the environment and the economy too and that all of our decisions would be made with both in hand.
Ms. White: A search of= the Government of Yukon website returns no results for a climate lens policy or framework. What we are looking for is a government policy or document that guides the decision-making through a climate lens, which the Premier says t= hat they already do. For example, the federal government has a 50-page general guidance document on how to assess infrastructure projects through a climate lens. When the Premier said that his government is taking similar action — so we thought there must be some form of government policy that sets out how this action is being taken.
So, Mr. Speaker, when the Premier said that they already make their decisi= ons through a climate lens, was he speaking of a substantive government policy,= or was he speaking of vague intentions without a guiding framework?
Hon. Mr. Silver: I think if you take a look long term at the Yukon government and their abilit= y to hit targets or not hit targets — we understand, as a Liberal governme= nt, that we haven’t in the past done a great job there. So that is why we= are moving forward on a new strategy for climate change, for energy, and a green economy.
When I speak to the opposition or when I speak to the media, this is what I̵= 7;m talking about as well. In the last three years, we have developed a lot of forward, progressive thought when it comes to reducing our emissions in everything that we do. Now it is time to make sure that we formalize this process as well.
We are developing a climate change, green energy, and green economy strategy in partnership with First Nation governments, transboundary indigenous groups,= and Yukon municipalities. The public and stakeholders will have an opportunity = next month to review the commitments of over 130 concrete actions — 130 concrete actions, Mr. Speaker — that the Government of Yukon proposes to take toward a greener, more resilient territory.
I agree with the member opposite: We need to have a more formalized process. I believe that in the last three years, we have done a substantial amount of ground-moving in this initiative and with the input of First Nation governments, municipalities, and the public at large — and hopefully = the opposition as well. We will add to that with these commitments of these 130 actions.
I really do appreciate the question from the member opposite.
Ms. White: So, what we= are looking for is a policy or framework that guides all government decisions f= rom this point forward, and that is what we are talking about. But it appears t= hat this government has no government-wide policy in place and that the Premier= was mistaken.
Fortunately for us, the federal government has already shown some initiative on this ma= tter and implemented a climate lens that applies to a number of projects underwa= y in the Yukon.
Mr. Speaker, will this government undertake a study of the federal government’s in= frastructure climate lens with a view to implementing a similar framework specific to the Yukon?
Hon. Ms. Frost: I= would like to thank the member opposite for the great suggestions. It is certainly something that this government takes very seriously. With respect to climate change, we know that we have seen significant changes. We declared a climate change emergency just recently. We are working with our partners to address= a climate change strategy. With the climate change lens, we are taking into consideration traditional observations as well as scientific assessments. A= s we look at building and building envelopes, we look at the direct, unique circumstances in the north. We are certainly working very closely with the Minister of Community Services.
The member opposite seems to have some more great information to share. We would like to hear that so that we can essentially tie that into our comprehensive discussions that we are having right now with Yukoners. We are going to look and continue to have stakeholder debate and discussions around efficiencies — efficiencies in building. We are looking at climate change and the vulnerability and doing the analysis. We will continue to do that, knowing = that we have some unique challenges in the north and unique challenges in the Yu= kon. We will adapt accordingly, working with all of the departments within the government.
Question re: Health care review
Ms. McLeod: As you kno= w, the Liberal government is currently consulting on whether or not to bring in massive health care premiums and whether or not to limit medical travel for rural Yukon. This has been done as part of the comprehensive health review.=
Last Tuesday, the comprehensive health review panel held a consultation in Watson Lake on their proposals. The only problem is that only one person from the five-person panel showed up for the consultation.
Mr. Speaker, how can Yukoners have faith in the consultations for the comprehensive heal= th review if the panel that the minister appointed to conduct the review won’t even show up to the meetings?
Hon. Ms. Frost: I= do believe that was maybe a bit of an insult to the competencies — suggesting that they have not shown up. They are in fact showing up — very highly skilled, competent individuals who are going ahead to do compre= hensive, independent discussions with Yukoners. We will allow Yukoners to provide th= at feedback.
I am glad to know that the Member for Watson Lake is very interested. Perhaps= she will participate in the discussions in Watson Lake and give us some great f= eedback and some great recommendations so that we can essentially take that into consideration via the comprehensive health review panel. I look forward to further discussions and further debate. I also look forward to the panel’s recommendations, because they are going to go into every Yukon community and provide us with some recommendations with the feedback. I am looking forward to that.
Ms. McLeod: I am sure = the minister will be pleased to know that I have in fact attended part of the review —
Speaker: Order. One moment, please.
Interruption — phone ringing
Speaker: If the Clerks-at-t= he-Table could start the clock again, please.
The Member for Watson Lake, please.
Ms. McLeod: As I was s= aying to the minister, I have participated in the part of the debate going on in Watson Lake with this health review, and I have been trying to share those Yukoners’ concerns and the government won’t listen.
Mr. Speaker, the problems are stacking up for the comprehensive health review. The minis= ter originally told Yukoners that the health review would be completed by the f= all of 2019, but since then, it has been delayed five times.
Now the so-called “consultations” — 80 percent of the pa= nel didn’t go to the meetings in Watson Lake. This minister has been criticized in the past for showing up to a consultation and refusing to participate, insisting that she was there as a keynote listener. Now her he= alth review panel won’t go to their own consultations. That’s hardly= a meaningful consultation, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, are the concerns that are being raised at these meetings being relayed back= to the panel exactly as they are asked, or are they simply being summarized and watered down?
Hon. Ms. Frost: I= would say that the members who make up the comprehensive health review are member= s of our community who have extensive experience in our communities, who are very involved in all of our communities, and who have had extensive experience working in our communities from all sectors of our society.
With regard to the meetings in Watson Lake and elsewhere — my understandin= g is that there were over 35 members at their meeting in Watson Lake. We are get= ting quite an uptake and response from all of our communities.
My understanding from the comprehensive review committee is that they are sharing that responsibility= and they go out to the communities. There were five representatives available at those meetings.
So, I would not worry too= much about them skimming over information. I think that comprehensive documentat= ion is being put together and detailed analysis. Yes, I have gone out to the communities and I have listened to the communities. I don’t go out to= the communities — I sit and I listen and sometimes that might be qualifie= d as a “keynote listener”. Well, I listen and I hear what the communities are saying and we take that essentially into advisement and try= to tie that back into what has not happened historically.
Ms. McLeod: Four years, Mr. Speaker. According = to the documents that were revealed by the Third Party, the cost for this heal= th review could be as high as $2 million. I think that Yukoners would be = very disappointed to learn that, for $2 million, the health review panel won’t go to the consultations. So, what are we paying for?
There are nine more public consultations scheduled for this health review. So, will the minister ask t= he entire panel to attend these consultations so that they can actually hear f= rom and have a meaningful consultation with Yukoners on the future of our health care?
Hon. Ms. Frost: I want to just clarify some of = the comments that were made, because they were absolutely incorrect. For one, i= t is not $2 million. We have never allocated $2 million. The cost for = the comprehensive health review is estimated to be $650,000, and it is not four years. We have had this responsibility now for three years. I am very proud= of the good work of Health and Social Services. I’m very proud of the wo= rk that we have done, and we have essentially delivered better services and be= tter programming. We have specialized supports we brought to the Yukon. We want = to ensure that we do that continuing into the future. That is the objective of= the review. The biggest cost-driver in this government is health — health= and social services.
We want to ensure that we= provide efficient, effective services so that Yukoners can live healthy, happy lives within the communities they choose to live in. I would venture to say that = the majority of Yukon communities have not been given the support that they req= uire to do just that, and we will endeavour to do that. We will continue the good work, we will listen to Yukoners, and we will deliver on what we said we wo= uld.
Question re=
: Radon
testing
Mr. Kent: Radon is a colourless, odourless, naturally occurring gas that can enter buildings through cracks and unsealed openings= in basements and foundations from the soil. It is a health concern if there is prolonged exposure. In 2018, the Government of Yukon did testing of radon levels in schools. Those tests determined that, according to Health Canada’s guidelines for indoor air quality, results for Christ the Ki= ng Elementary School, Eliza Van Bibber School, and Holy Family School are slig= htly above Health Canada’s recommended levels for radon.
The latest update on the = government website says that the government will complete remediation work at Christ t= he King Elementary and Eliza Van Bibber within two years. It goes on to state = that the details of this remediation work are being determined.
Can the minister tell us = if the details of the remediation at these two schools has been determined yet, and has remediation begun or been completed at these schools?
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: I will endeavour to get an ans= wer to the member opposite.
Mr. Kent: So, when we were in general debate on the budget in Committee of the Whole with departments that don’t have vot= es, the Premier informed this side of the House that he has pigeonholed us into= a half-hour Question Period where we can ask these types of questions. Normal= ly, we would ask them with officials present so that we can get the answer, but unfortunately, we’re not able to get any responses at all to these questions that are being raised by Yukoners and that Yukoners are asking us= to ask. Hopefully the Premier reconsiders his stubborn stance when it comes to Committee of the Whole.
According to the government’s website, the remediation system at Holy Family School was not ready until the end of the testing period in 2018. As a result, the sch= ool was going to be tested again during the 2018‑19 heating season to ens= ure that radon levels at the school are now below the recommended levels.
Can the minister confirm = for us the results of the most recent radon testing at Holy Family School? Are rad= on levels now below the recommended levels?
Hon. Mr. Silver: Of course, the Minister of Education will get up and answer the member opposite’s question in the third supplementary. But again, Mr. Speaker, we hear two different thi= ngs. He’s asking me during Committee of the Whole if we would answer quest= ions. We are answering questions in general debate. We are endeavouring to get ba= ck to the questions that we do not have available for us at that time. Today in Committee of the Whole, answers to specific questions that remained unquestioned will get answered. Again, we are committing to answer the questions members opposite are asking. We will continue to do that in Quest= ion Period.
I just want to correct the record. When a question is asked with two different statements in it, we wo= uld like to answer both of those questions, so we will give the opportunity to answer the question about Committee of the Whole debate. The member opposit= e is incorrect.
When it comes to radon, w= e will absolutely have the Minister of Education answer the member opposite’= s very specific question.
Mr. Kent: Well, that was quite a ramble by the Premi= er attempting to deflect again — or not even attempting; he’s stri= ctly deflecting any of the questions that we asked. Normally, as I mentioned, we would ask these questions during Committee of the Whole debate when ministe= rs are supported by their officials. When we got into Committee of the Whole debate on the supplementary budget last week, the Premier wouldn’t ev= en let his ministers answer or get into their briefing books. He just stumbled= and bumbled his way through trying to answer our questions.
I will ask again. The Tee= n Parent Centre was also previously found to have radon levels above recommended lev= els, but remediation was not completed until after the 2017‑18 heating sea= son, so testing was not completed. The government had stated that they would test the Teen Parent Centre in the 2018‑19 heating season to ensure that r= adon levels are now within recommended levels.
So, can the minister prov= ide an update on the radon testing at the Teen Parent Centre and are those levels within what is recommended?
Hon. Ms. McPhee: As you probably know, radon is naturally occurring in the Yukon and does not pose immediate danger to heal= th. It is only a concern where there is prolonged exposure to a high concentrat= ion over many years. That said, of course radon is of concern when it is appear= ing in some of our Yukon schools.
The Government of Yukon= 8217;s radon management guidelines follow Health Canada’s recommended guidelines. We are working with staff and planning for additional mitigation work at Christ the King Elementary and at Eliza Van Bibber School in Pelly Crossing. These schools tested slightly above the recommended range in rece= nt testing.
With respect to the Teen = Parent Centre and Holy Family School, testing has resulted in remediation work that has b= een completed, and both of those locations will be tested this winter, since th= at remediation work has been done.
Speaker: The time for Question Period has now elapsed.
Notice of
opposition private members’ business
Mr. Kent: Pursuant to Standing Order 14.2(3), I =
would
like to identify the items standing in the name of the Official Opposition =
to
be called on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. They are Motion for the
Production of Papers No. 3, standing in the name of the Member for
Pelly-Nisutlin, and Motion No. 18, standing in the name of the Member =
for
Watson Lake.
Ms. White: = span>Pursuant to Standing Order 14.2(3), I = would like to identify the items standing in the name of the Third Party to be ca= lled on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. They are Motion No. 8, standing in the name of the Member for Whitehorse Centre, and Motion No.&nb= sp;23, standing in the name of the Member for Takhini-Kopper King.
Speaker: We will now proceed to Orders of the Day.
Orders of th=
e Day
Hon. Ms. McPhee: Mr. Speaker, I move that = the Speaker do now leave the Chair and that the House resolve into Committee of= the Whole.
Speaker: It has been moved by the Government House Leader that the Speaker do now leave the Chair and that the House resolve into Committee of the Whole.
Motion agreed to
Speaker leaves the Chair
Committee of=
the
Whole
Chair (Mr. Hutton): I will now call Committee of the Whole to order.
The matter now before the Committee is continuing general debate on Bill No. 200, entitled Second Appropriation Act 2019‑20= .
Do members wish to take a= brief recess?
All Hon. Members: Agreed.
Chair: Committee of the Whole will recess for 15 minutes.=
Recess
Chair: Committee of the Whole will now come to order.
Bill No.&nb=
sp;200: Second Appropriation Act 2019‑20=
— continued
Chair: The matter before the Committee is continuing gene= ral debate on Bill No. 200, entitled Second Appropriation Act 2019‑20.
Resuming general debate &= #8212; Mr. Silver, 14 minutes, 54 seconds.
Hon. Mr. Silver: Mr. Chair, I appreciate t= he opportunity. Just to pick up where we left off in general debate from the o= ther day, I want to thank the Department of Health and Social Services for provi= ding some answers that I endeavoured to get back to the members opposite on.
I am going to start with = question 1 that was asked. I am paraphrasing here, but the member opposite spoke abo= ut hearing certain things in her community and that she would like to know if = the minister would confirm whether or not all of the positions in each of the mental wellness hubs in the communities were filled.
On that specific question= , Mr. Chair, since Health and Social Services committed to hiring 11 mental health professionals for the Mental Wellness and Substance Use hubs in May of 2018= , we have been able to fill 10 out of the 11 positions, with further recruitment underway. We are still attempting to fill the mental wellness and substance= use counsellor position in Ross River — that would be the one position th= at is still not there. We do have a mental health nurse living in Ross River a= nd providing services to that community. We also have recently adjusted the hub model and have expanded the number of positions in Carcross, Watson Lake, a= nd Dawson City. Staffing levels in the hubs are continuously assessed and adju= sted to meet the needs of the community.
The member opposite also = asked for the communities that don’t have hubs — do the mental wellne= ss and substance use workers visit and do they have a set schedule? In that particular case, the mental wellness supports are provided in all Yukon com= munities either through a hub location or by a mental wellness staff person living in most communities. The current mental wellness and substance use — or = MWSU — staffing in communities — Dawson City, which is a hub, has th= ree MWSU counsellors, one child, youth and family counsellor, one clinical advi= sor, and one mental health nurse starting in November 2019. We have recruiting f= or one MWSU counsellor and two support workers. Old Crow, for example, has one MWSU counsellor, one child, youth and family counsellor/MWSU counsellor = 212; it is an alternate two-week position — two-week periods. An offer has also gone out to a specific MWSU counsellor, with a start date of February = of the coming year, in 2020. Also, in Mayo, there is one MWSU counsellor there= as well. Haines Junction, which is a hub — one MWSU counsellor, one clin= ical counsellor, one support worker, and one child, youth and family counsellor — or CYF counsellor from here on in — starting in November 2019 — currently recruiting for one CYF counsellor and one mental health n= urse and one support worker.
Again, Mr. Chair — very specific questions that I didn’t have at = my disposal with my team, the Department of Finance, in general debate. But we have endeavoured to get back to the members opposite and answered the quest= ions even though we heard even today in Question Period that we’re not answering the questions. I would beg to differ. We’re endeavouring to= get back with the answers in a timely fashion.
I have to say — as we list all of these support staff workers for these= hub communities in the greater Yukon area — it’s a far cry from one mental health nurse for the north of Yukon and one mental health nurse for = all of the southern Yukon and the rural communities. Trying to make that schedu= le, we know, came with a lot of trials and tribulations and, you know, a really insufficient amount of support for the mental health of our communities. We= are endeavouring to fill positions that aren’t filled, but we have a complement of mental health workers in all of those communities.
I do have other answers, but I would run out of time right now. I will provid= e a couple of answers now, as I’m on my feet, with regard to Many Rivers.= We had a question asked about the number of positions created in communities to cover gaps left by Many Rivers. Mr. Chair, since the spring of 2018, t= he MWSU hubs have more than filled the gaps left by the closure of the non-governmental organization Many Rivers. Since the addition of these hubs, MWSU has seen an uptake in services being provided to children, youth, and families.
In many of the communities served, the mental wellness hubs — that model differs from services previously offered in the communities by Many Rivers — where you saw before that there were only two different support wor= kers or support nurses — back in the previous days, where Many Rivers would have had to bear a lot of that extra need — the mental wellness staff live in most communities, which provides continuous and consistent care. Wh= ere Many Rivers only provided services in Dawson City, Haines Junction, and Wat= son Lake, the mental wellness hubs itinerant specialist services provide clinic= al practice and case management.
These hubs also provide pre- and post-care services and supports in Whitehorse, in collaboration with psychiatry as well. The mental health works in collabora= tion with families; they work in collaboration with schools on a whole-of-govern= ment approach. These mental wellness hubs broaden the connectivity with Yukon Fi= rst Nations and the Department of Education as well.
We were asked by the members opposite how the gap in services left by Many Riv= ers is being closed in Whitehorse and also in the communities. Mr. Chair, = in Whitehorse itself, since March 2019, the combined efforts of the MWSU Whitehorse location and the Canadian Mental Health Association, Yukon divis= ion — that is CMHAY — have allowed drop-in counselling to be availa= ble on Mondays through Saturdays.
On August 23, 2019, we announced that, in addition to those services, Health a= nd Social Services has retained the services of CMHAY in an expanded capacity = as well as the services of All Genders Yukon Society in Whitehorse. These serv= ice providers will also follow the new service-delivery model being implemented= in the MWSU community hubs announced in September 2019, which will mean that clients can more easily access family, grief, relationship, and marriage counselling services across the territory.
In light of the time, I will sit down at this point. I will try to thread some more answers to these questions in as we go through general debate.<= /p>
Mr. Hassard: We have received a note, as did the government side of the Legislature, from the Clerk’s Table saying that this was our opportunity to raise questions even of departments that do not have line items in the supplementary budget= .
This Premier has talked extensively about finding efficiencies and the importanc= e of the government being efficient — showing up in this Assembly prepared= to provide accurate information to the Assembly. I guess my first question for= the Premier would be: Does he feel that this is an efficient way to spend our t= ime here in the Legislature, Mr. Chair?
Hon. Mr. Silver: = Do I find answering the questions that the members opposite ask in general debat= e to be an efficient use of our time? I do. Yes.
Mr. Hassard: I am not = sure. Maybe the Premier didn’t understand the question or wasn’t enti= rely listening. I would think that efficiencies would be having ministers availa= ble and having the staff available to assist those ministers so that the questi= ons can be answered and then supplementary questions could be asked. I think providing three answers to questions that were asked last week — now,= if critics want to ask supplementary questions to those responses — and = we do appreciate the responses; don’t get me wrong — they are goin= g to wait another week for those responses.
So my question to the Premier was: Does he feel that this is an efficient way = to spend our time here in the Legislature? Or maybe I should rephrase that, Mr= . Chair, and say: Is this the most efficient way to be proceeding in the Legislature= ?
Hon. Mr. Silver: I think again what we have here is a difference of opinion as to how we’= ;re supposed to spend the time on the bill. I would ask the member opposite = 212; in the past, when his party was in government — if the member opposite would listen to the question; I can wait. At that time, was there ever an opportunity where Committee of the Whole and general debate offered ministe= rs to answer those questions? I don’t recall — in the five years t= hat I spent in opposition, I don’t recall once having the past Premier of= fer up the ministers. We have. But again, we did that in a way that still dealt with the departments that were up for debate in the bills. I would ask agai= n to the member opposite: Was there ever a time where the member opposite’s team or party — when they were in government — offered up a department — a government department — for a bill, a budget, a supplementary — that wasn’t a part of that supplementary budget? The answer again would be no.
The member opposite is saying that they’re going to have to wait weeks to= get answers. I’m responding right now in a timely fashion — in less than a week; in a couple of days, actually — to the very, very, very specific questions that the Yukon Party are asking and I am doing so gladly= .
The members opposite would have you believe that I’m not. But again, we believe that we are offering more Committee of the Whole support than in the past here. Again, in my five years in opposition, I don’t recall a ti= me where a department was up that wasn’t part of that supplementary budg= et. If I’m wrong, then I will apologize, but I don’t recall that. <= /span>
I do know that we invoked the guillotine clause quite a bit as a government. = Our government does. The opposition — when they were in government, they = did as well. My goal would be to have as much debate about the bills that are in front of us, and then if we do have extra time, we could have that conversa= tion about what we would do with that time.
What I will continue to do today is I will continue to answer the questions that were asked — very specific questions in general debate. I guess it’s a strategy to try to maybe get me to speak off of note, I guess, which is fine. It’s a tactic and I understand what the opposition is trying to do.
But what I will do instea= d is — if I don’t have that information at my fingertips here as we = are debating very specific increases in infrastructure and the Wildland Fire Management supplementary budget — if I don’t have those answers readily available, I will endeavour to get those answers.
I would say, as well, tha= t the last time we stood in Committee of the Whole, we did answer a lot of the questions on the floor in general debate, and then whatever I couldn’t respond to, we are getting back to the opposition with. I think that is an effective use of our time because — for one — we are answering = as much as we can in general debate and then we are giving more information.= p>
Another question that was= asked the other day, which we didn’t have a response for immediately: What = are the current wait times for people seeking long-term recovery treatment at S= arah Steele? Again, an important question and one that we are endeavouring to get back to the members on as quickly as we possibly can, if those questions are asked in general debate. The wait time is approximately five weeks; however, those with urgent needs have access to day programs and groups, as well as rapid-access counselling as well.
Another question specific= ally about treatment at Sarah Steele, or other treatment, was: What are the wait times for treatment at Sarah Steele and other treatments? The wait time for intensive treatment is up to five weeks. The wait time for rapid-access counselling is approximately nine days. There is no wait time for group therapy. There are no wait times across Yukon for child, youth, and family drop-in or rapid-access treatment.
For outpatient counsellin= g, the wait-list in Whitehorse is approximately two months. For outpatient counsel= ling in the communities, the only wait time is in Dawson City, which is less than six weeks.
There was a question also specific to — what has been put in place this year to support people = who have received treatment and are seeking after-care, for example? Mr. C= hair, there is rapid-access counselling. There are day programs and groups. As we= ll, at discharge, patients are connected with a counsellor.
I’ll leave it there= for now and continue to field some current questions while I seed in some responses from this week.
Mr. Hassard: Maybe it would be easier if the Premier just tabled that document and then he wouldn’t have to stand up and r= ead from it every time.
Mr. Chair, I’l= l just read a memo from the Clerk’s Table. It said: “In case it may be handy, just wished to address in advance proceedings in Committee of the Wh= ole on Bill No. 200, Second Appropriation Act 2019‑20.
“In Schedule A of B= ill No. 200, there are three Votes that require new appropriations: Vote 51 — Community Services; Vote 07 — Economic Development; Vote 22 — Yukon Development Corporation.
“After general deba= te on the bill in Committee of the Whole concludes, these are the individual Votes that can be called for debate.
“If Members have any questions concerning Votes that do not require new appropriations, t= he point in the proceedings at which to raise them would be during general deb= ate on the bill in Committee of the Whole.
“The reason for thi= s is that the approval of the Legislative Assembly is not required for such chan= ges, whereas the approval of the Assembly is required to appropriate new funds. This holds true even if a Vote that does not require new appropriati= on has some changes in line items within the Vote. One such Votes is listed in= the Table of Contents (alongside the aforementioned three Votes that do require new appropriations) of the information booklet accompanying Bill No. 200. That Vote is Vote 18, Yukon Housing Corporation. Any questions about that Vote would be raised during general debate on Bill No. 200.= ”
So, Mr. Chair, I rea= d that into the record. I know that the Premier has seen that. He has received that note, and I know that, last week, you spoke on this matter and said that, y= es, this is the time for the opposition to ask these questions. But you also to= ld us that doesn’t necessarily mean that the government has to answer th= ose questions.
Today we have the Premier= here providing some information to questions that were asked days ago. My questi= on to the Premier was whether he felt that this was the most efficient way of having us spend our time here in the Legislature. So maybe another question= for the Premier would be: Does he feel that this is the most efficient way for staff to be dealing with their time?
Traditionally, we would h= ave a minister answer questions. He would have officials with him, and the questi= ons could be answered quite simply, as a rule. There are occasions that the sta= ff aren’t able or maybe don’t have the information at hand, but th= ey certainly endeavour to get that information back to the Legislature.
Now, this way, we have st= aff from departments running around having to find the information and relay it back= to the Premier, and then the Premier can relay it back to the Legislature. As I said, when critics have supplementary questions, they now have to wait for a few days for those staff to scramble around and jump through the hoops to t= ry to get the information.
We certainly appreciate t= he work that the staff are doing, but we also apologize to those staff because it’s unfortunate. I’m sure that they probably all have other th= ings to be doing as well.
My question, Mr. Cha= ir, is: Does the Premier feel that this is the most efficient way to spend the time= of staff in the departments?
Hon. Mr. Silver: Again, in the past, we have ma= de ministers available during general debate — having all of the ministe= rs available during general debate. We also have allowed in general debate an answer to the questions — here we are, in the Legislative Assembly — as opposed to the members opposite asking some specific questions to this bill, they have chosen this as their best use of time to ask very, very specific questions of other departments.
It would be different, Mr= . Chair — and I really do think it would be different — in the past, departments that did not have budgetary line items when the Yukon Party was= in power — if they had offered up that service or that department — but I don’t recall that. That is not something that they did. The only difference here is that the Yukon Party did two budgets. They had a budget = in the fall and they had a budget in the spring. So I understand why the membe= rs opposite are saying, “Look, we have less of an opportunity to ask very specific questions.” But general debate is still general debate ̵= 2; bottom line.
In general debate under t= his government, we are answering the questions in general, and we are also not = only offering answers in general, but we are also offering very specific answers that come in a more timely fashion. I think that anytime that a department spends its time providing information for the questions from the members opposite is a very valuable use of government time, because this is an open= and accountable government. If I don’t have the information at my fingert= ips or if I don’t have the historic knowledge myself personally to be abl= e to weigh in during general debate — which is exactly what general debate= is — then we are doing more so. We are going to go over and above, and we are going to get those very specific answers for the member opposite.
I do remember general deb= ate in the past with the past government. It was a lot of partisan politics, for s= ure. It was a lot of hurling of certain things back and forth. Pens would be fly= ing. I don’t necessarily think that it was a more efficient use of the Legislature’s time. I am sure that the members opposite would beg to differ. But I do recall asking a lot of questions — in Committee of t= he Whole for the departments — and not getting the answers from the memb= ers opposite. I would get folks reading, again, from their campaigns. We could = go back to that format, but I think that this is a better way where we actuall= y do get answers. We are answering questions in general — and I am answeri= ng the member opposite’s question now, in general. If he did ask me a ve= ry specific question about numbers, then I would have to endeavour to get back= to him. So that’s what we’re doing as well.
Another question asked by= the members opposite the other day was: What happened with the $100,000 for a homeless shelter in Watson Lake from the spring budget? Had it disappeared? What was the outcome of that? Is there a program or project moving forward? Again, I would hazard a guess that, in the past, when the previous governme= nt was around, if that specific question was asked, I don’t think we wou= ld have gotten a legislative return or even an answer to that specific questio= n. We would get a distraction. We would get something about the difference bet= ween the NDP and Yukon Party or the difference between the Liberal and Yukon Par= ty. We wouldn’t get an answer. We would have a general debate that was he= avy in partisan politics, but we wouldn’t get the specific answers. Again= , I will endeavour to get those specific answers to the member opposite.
For that particular quest= ion, Health and Social Services dedicated $100,000 in funding to conduct a housi= ng needs assessment in Watson Lake. Health and Social Services entered into a transfer payment agreement — a TPA — with Health and Hope for Families in Watson Lake in August 2019. Health and Hope will be conducting a fulsome assessment of housing needs for the most vulnerable in the community and a men’s shelter feasibility study in Watson Lake and surrounding areas. That TPA provides $85,000 of the available $100,000 in funding for Health and Hope to conduct a feasibility assessment to determine the follow= ing needs for a men’s emergency shelter and other supports — suppor= tive housing options and the feasibility of operating an emergency shelter and o= ther supportive housing resources, availability, location and capacity of availa= ble community resources, estimated usage, and other types of shelter — lo= w- or high-barrier sheltering.
Once that assessment is c= omplete, an additional agreement for the remaining $15,000 will be negotiated with a separate consultant to complete an analysis and final report. It is anticip= ated that there will be a comprehensive report completed by the end of 2019.
I would say that, as well= — in answering these very, very specific questions in general debate — I think it also is helpful in the fact that we have done community tours with= the Minister of Community Services and public servants who represent those communities and we have talked in general with mayors and councils and chie= fs and councils about exactly these specific issues. It is great to be able, on the floor of the Legislative Assembly — in Hansard — to reitera= te that and to answer those questions. It helps me to know the specific dollar values that are being allocated and the timelines that are being implemente= d, but also it does help that we have it in Hansard — those answered questions as well — as opposed to a legislative return.
I believe the last of the= questions from the members opposite was on Helping Hands. What was the evidence used = to decide to close the program? What evidence suggests that the individuals wo= uld be better served? Has this been successful? Have they been placed in other programs, achieving desired results for these clients? Again, Mr. Chai= r, a very important question — a very specific question in general debate — but a very important question, so I am happy to get an answer to members opposite and I do appreciate them bringing forth these questions on= the floor of the Legislature.
Following up on previous discussions about the program and client need — in February 2019, Hea= lth and Social Services met with Helping Hands to put in place a short-term contract from April 1, 2019, to June 30 of the same year, with the intent to provide time to determine next steps for the transition of client= s. At that time, Helping Hands was notified that Health and Social Services did not intend to extend the contract with Helping Hands beyond June 30,&n= bsp;2019. By June 25, 2019, all client transition plans were well underway.= The transition from Helping Hands was finalized on June 1, 2019. All clients have transitioned to new programs and are doing well. I want to tha= nk the Department of Health and Social Services for their excellent work in th= at endeavour. There have been no concerns or incidents that have been reported — unless the members opposite have some reports to the contrary ̵= 2; we would love to hear them.
Teegatha’Oh Zheh is= a non-profit organization that has provided high-quality, accessible, and inclusive services in Yukon for decades. The Government of Yukon has given = TOZ an additional just under $100,000 — a very specific answer — $98,552.40 per year to support the transition. Again, that would be a number that I wouldn’t have readily available in general debate, but I endeavoured to and got back to the members opposite in a very timely fashio= n.
Transitioning clients to TOZ and providing the organization additional funding for an increased staff complement still results in a net savings of almost $200,00= 0 a year. My credit goes where it’s due to the Department of Health and Social Services, working with the NGO community and the communities at larg= e to make sure that we’re offering the same quality programming and servic= es that Yukoners come to deserve and want and, in doing so, finding efficienci= es in that pursuit.
Mr. Hassard: As I said= before, Mr. Chair, we certainly do appreciate the information that the Premier= is providing for those questions that were asked a number of days ago; however= , he is continuing to talk about efficiencies and being efficient and I still fe= el that it would be more efficient to have the minister with a briefing binder= and the officials there to support them in answering those questions last week.=
The interesting thing is the Premier stood here for 10 minutes using up his ent= ire speaking time talking about how they’re answering the questions, but = my one specific question was: Does the Premier feel that this is the most efficient way for staff to spend their time? He actually didn’t in fa= ct answer that question, Mr. Chair. He talked at great length about a lot= of other things. He did not say that this is the most efficient way for staff = to spend their time, or no, this is not the most efficient way for staff to sp= end their time.
Hon. Mr. Silver: = The questions need to be answered. Those answers need to be checked with the department to make sure that they are accurate, so they take time — absolutely.
I was wondering if the member opposite thinks that asking very specific quest= ions in general debate is an effective use of his staff’s time when they k= now that this is the time for a general debate. But again, we are happy to answ= er the questions that the members opposite ask. I think it’s a little bit pointless to have a debate as to whether or not the way that the last government answered questions in general debate — by hurling partisan rhetoric back and forth — was a better use of time. I guess that way — I can certainly see the member opposite’s point — the s= taff doesn’t have to bother answering the questions. For us, we can answer= the questions generally, and then we endeavour to get the answers back to the member opposite.
I guess I can see that it is more time for the departments to actually answer= the questions, but I still believe that in an open and transparent government — that is a responsibility of an open and transparent government. I w= ill absolutely endeavour to do my best here on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, answering the general questions that the member opposite has for = me. If I can’t answer those questions, then I apologize. But what I will = do is endeavour to get back to the member opposite with those answers. That pa= rt is maybe something that the members opposite didn’t do so much here.
So, yes, it does take time for the department, but I also know that the departm= ents have that information. Also, the public servants want to make sure that the most accurate information is being discussed here on the floor of the Legislative Assembly.
So, yes, I do think that this is an efficient use of our time if the goal is to answer those questions and if the questions that are coming in general deba= te are too specific to answer without being able to fact-check at that time the most up-to-date responses.
Mr. Hassard: I certain= ly hope that the Premier understands his responsibilities. He is responsible f= or the government. He is responsible for his ministers. He is responsible that= the information that the ministers provide is accurate. That is his responsibil= ity.
Another one of his responsibilities is to ensure that, when the opposition has questions on behalf of constituents throughout the entire Yukon — the Premier ensures that accurate information is passed on to the opposition so that we can pass that information on to our respective constituents.
Still, Mr. Chair, my question was very simple: Does the Premier feel that thi= s is the most effective way for staff to spend their time? He has talked around this. He has talked about how important it is and how the staff need to have accurate information, but he will not say that yes, this is the most effect= ive way for staff to fill their time or that no, it is not.
Some Hon. Member: (Ina= udible)
Mr. Hassard: No, you h= ave not answered it three times. Mr. Chair, he did not answer the question once. So if he wants to sit there and tell me to sit down, then I will sit down, and I will hope that we will finally get an answer to the question, M= r. Chair.
Hon. Mr. Silver: = Yes. Yes, it is very effective. If he wants me to say “the most effective” — it’s hard to say “the most”. I t= hink it’s much more effective than with the previous government — absolutely, yes, I do.
It’s interesting that the member opposite will criticize me about my roles and responsibilities here, which is exactly what the member opposite said. He s= aid that it’s my responsibility to do this and do that. I agree — t= hat is my responsibility. Sometimes I wonder about the member opposite’s responsibilities as the leader of that party. But again, we will take a loo= k at his summer activities to determine whether or not it is a valuable use of h= is time to take on a second job. Again, if the member opposite wants to talk t= o us about responsibilities — yes, I think this is an effective use of my time. I understand the roles and responsibilities of a Premier, and I take those responsibilities, not lightly, but with a lot of responsibility. I wo= rk very hard in that role. I am sitting here answering the questions the member opposite asks and I’m still getting criticized for doing so. <= /p>
I will continue. There were some questions asked this week when we last sat in Committee of the Whole on lobbyist registration. “When will the regulations be in effect?” was one of the questions.
Some Hon. Member: (Ina= udible)
Quorum count
Chair: Mr. Hassard, on= a point of order.
Mr. Hassard: I would l= ike to call for a quorum count, Mr. Chair.
Chair: Order, please. Accor= ding to Standing Order 3(4): “While in Committee of the Whole, if the Chair’s attention is drawn to an apparent lack of a quorum, the Chair shall ring the bells for four minutes and then do a count.”
Bells
Chair: Order, please. There= are 13 members present. A quorum is present. We will now continue general debat= e.
Hon. Mr. Silver: = I was about to answer some specific questions on lobbyist registration from the members opposite. I think the question was along the lines of: When will the regulations be in effect? I believe this came from the NDP — answering some of the questions from the Third Party. When will the regulations be in effect and when will legislators be apprised of the regulation governing lobbying in this territory?
I did answer the question in general, but a more specific answer is: The Lobbyists Registration Act will no= t come into effect until a registration system is available. Work on an online sys= tem is currently underway. When the online registration system is complete, we = will be ready to bring the legislation into force.
Mr. Chair, this is all new in Yukon, and we are developing the first regulatory system= for lobbyists in the territory.
Mr. Hassard: Mr. = Chair, as the Premier knows, House Leaders have had discussions every morning and suggested that we would be willing and open to saying, okay — that we= can pick a department that we would be open to asking questions of in order for= the ministers to be prepared — if they felt that they needed staff to be = in the Legislature with them for support — and this morning, the discuss= ion was about Highways and Public Works. We are happy that the Minister of High= ways and Public Works is here. I’m sure he has his briefing binder with hi= m.
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Point of Or=
der
Chair: = Mr. Silver, on a point of order.<= o:p>
Hon. Mr. Silve=
r: Mr. Chair, I believe it contradic=
ts the
Standing Orders to make a reference to whether or not a member is in or out=
of
the Legislative Assembly.
Chair: =
Mr. Kent, on the point of order. =
Mr. Kent: On the point of order, I believe that =
the
Standing Orders only refer to referring to the absence of a member, not whe=
ther
a member is here, which is what the Leader of the Official Opposition said.=
He
said that he is happy to see the minister here sitting in his seat.
Chair’=
;s
ruling
Chair: =
I tend to agree with Mr. Kent. Th=
ere is
no point of order.
Mr. Hassard, please.
Mr. Hassard: =
So as my colleague beside me said, we =
are
happy to see that the Minister of Highways and Public Works is here and rea=
dy
to work.
Today, for the rest of the afternoon or for the next foreseeable fut=
ure
anyway, I would like to direct my questions toward Highways and Public Work=
s. I
am sure that the Premier is not going to have the answers for a lot of these
questions, so I am hoping that he will allow the Minister of Highways and
Public Works to help him with some of these questions.
Mr. Chair, there was a contract for brushing. I know that the Minister of Highways and Public Works likes to talk about brushing, as do I. Contract 2018/19-3094 closed on July 26, 2018. Part of the contract was for bru= shing between kilometre 535.1 and kilometre 565 of the Klondike Highway, as well = as a section of the Silver Trail. Highways and Public Works struck a deal with t= he contractor and traded the work up north for work farther south, I guess wou= ld be the best way to put it. Since that time, that section of brushing was ne= ver, ever done. Now the government has come up with a new way of determining the priority for brushing. Mr. Chair, we are left wondering: Since that section was a priority a year and a half ago, how did it fall off of the pr= iority list? Is there any indication of when that brushing may proceed in t= he future?
Hon. Mr. Silver: When it comes to the brushing issues in Yukon, I am extremely proud of the system that Highways and Public Works has endeavoured to invoke. For the first time ever, classifying roads= was a huge endeavour — absolutely — and something that was well-appreciated by the private sector and by those folks who do the highway maintenance work and also the brushing work.
We have heard a differenc= e of opinion between the Yukon Party and the NDP as to whether or not we are doi= ng enough brushing or, maybe in some cases, we have been told by the members opposite that we are doing too much brushing as well. I think that, in gene= ral, it is very important that we continue this work. It is very important that = we do it in a systematic fashion and make sure that we look at every community= and make sure that the brushing reflects the usage of the roads. I know that the members opposite would appreciate that, because we do have thousands and thousands of kilometres of roads that need to have a comprehensive strategy — a long-term strategy — when it comes to brushing.
We are doing all roads ov= er the next five years, and we are planning to do that in a systematic fashion. We= don’t want to do that — maybe to use the minister’s words — “fast and loose”. I have heard him say that a few times in the Legislative Assembly. We developed a system, and that is extremely importan= t. We want to make those roads safer, we want to make them wider, and we want = to protect wildlife.
The member opposite ̵= 2; I would assume, based on his background — would want us to see more and= to put more money in for brushing contracts. We have heard from the NDP that, = in certain areas, they want us to do less. To me, a systematic approach works. Contracts are being let out by that department, and I am confident that, ov= er the five-year plan that we have for brushing, all roads — all roads — in Yukon will be brushed.
Mr. Hassard: I certainly agree with the Premier that brushing is very important. Safety is important. That is why I asked this specific question regarding a specific contract.
I had suggested that mayb= e the minister could open up his briefing binder and very simply pass a briefing = note to the Premier — maybe help him out and provide him with a bit of information — but our open and accountable government doesn’t appear to be interested in taking suggestions and actually trying to answer= the question.
So, Mr. Chair, I wil= l ask the question again. Contract 2018/19-3094 closed on July 26, 2018 — my question very simply is: Why, after this section of the contract= was not completed or not even started — how come it fell off the priority list, but did not make the new priority list? It is quite a simple question= , Mr. Chair. I am sure that there is a very good reason. I have people asking me what th= at reason is, and so my duty is to come here to the Legislature and ask those questions.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I think anybody listening would appreciate that, if I had that detail of information here, I would have abo= ut 1,000 binders on my table. I can say that three kilometres of barriers will= be done this year. I can say that 1,000 kilometres of brushing is done and also that 1,600 kilometres of lanes were painted as well. It might come as a surprise — a shocker — to the member opposite that I don’t have that specific case file in front of me, but I will endeavour to get so= me responses to the member opposite.
Mr. Hassard: It might come as a shocker to the Premi= er that I actually said that I am quite sure that he doesn’t have this information, but I am quite sure that the Minister of Highways and Public W= orks has this information. It is unfortunate that the Premier doesn’t have= any confidence in his minister and that he isn’t willing to converse with= him and actually get the information to answer the question that I have asked.<= /p>
So maybe we’ll try = again, Mr. Chair — if the Premier could talk to the minister and find out the informat= ion to that very specific question.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I have available — right here, at my disposal — the briefing notes for the minister for the Department of Highways and Public Works. I have the information. If it is a general question, I can answer it.
That specific contract is= not necessarily something that we bring into the Legislative Assembly. That wou= ld be the regular operation and maintenance work of the Department of Highways= and Public Works. That particular question, regardless of whether it was asked = of me or the Minister of Highways and Public Works, would be a question that I would have to get an answer from the department, so I’m relaying to t= he member opposite that we will get him that answer to that specific question = as timely as we possibly can.
We do use a service appro= ach and we are prioritizing by certain travel areas. There are definitely priorities and this likely was undertaken on a higher priority and we’re rescheduling that into our priority areas. But again, that’s a very specific question about a very specific section of highways — whether it’s me or the minister — just again, for clarity’s sake = and to make sure that we’re providing the most up-to-date information on = the floor of the Legislative Assembly — that would invoke public resources and the public time of the public officials to get that information back. We will do that in as timely a fashion as we possibly can.
Mr. Hassard: That leads directly to my point: Why wouldn’t the Premier allow the officials to be here and actually answ= er those questions or provide assistance so that the minister could answer tho= se questions directly and then we could move on and we could get all kinds of great things done here? But, like I said, unfortunately, it appears that the Premier has no confidence in his minister, which is pretty sad.
But, Mr. Chair, this= is our time to ask these questions. So I’m going to persist and I’m go= ing to continue to ask questions.
Tender 2019/20-3595 inclu= des asphalt pavement overlay on the Alaska Highway from kilometre 1370.2 to 137= 8.9. I’m curious as to if this was a planned project. I didn’t notic= e it in any capital plans, so I guess I’m curious as to where this project originated from.
Hon. Mr. Silver: To answer the specific question about whether or not I have any confidence in my minister, the answer is: Absolute confidence in my minister — absolutely. I have confidence in= all of my ministers — my private members as well. This team, in a whole-of-government approach, is extremely competent and very good at the j= obs that they do.
When it comes to specific questions about roads — the point is that all roads will be brushed s= oon. We have a plan to make sure that, in a five-year plan, all roads will be brushed. That has never been done before. That is the point that Yukoners n= eed to know. Forty years of old trees in some rights-of-way — very danger= ous — 40-year-old trees in certain areas that have never been cleared = 212; in 40 years. We are endeavouring to make sure that this gets done in a five-year time frame.
Being able to get that le= vel of work out the door — and then the member opposite asks me if I have any confidence in the minister — absolutely — he is cleaning up some messes that haven’t been cleaned up before. On average, we resurfaced= 130 kilometres of BST and 10 kilometres of asphalt every year. I have extreme confidence in my minister — absolutely. If the member opposite has ve= ry specific questions about very specific sections of road and what we are doi= ng, I will give him the same response that he gave me. If he wants to give me a= ll of those questions in a return or table them in the Legislative Assembly now, = that would be an effective use of our time. We could get those answers to the me= mber opposite as quickly as possible, because the member opposite knows that the= re are a myriad of ways that the member opposite — if he actually wants = the answers to these questions — can ask these questions. We can casework these. We have done legislative returns — many, many more legislative returns than the opposition used to do when they were in the Legislative Assembly. We answer more questions. We are answering more questions in gene= ral debate here — yet we are still hearing from members opposite that they don’t like the style. But again, we are answering the questions.
If the member opposite re= ally wants to look for efficiencies, then he could table all of these questions,= we could table the answers, we could get on to daily debate, we could get on to the budget, and we could get on to the other bills as well. But again, I am happy to use this format if that suits the members opposite.
Mr. Hassard: I certainly didn’t ask if the Pre= mier had confidence in his minister, but he answered that question that wasnR= 17;t asked and then went on to talk about brushing when, in fact, I was asking a question about asphalt overlay, which is paving — that is not brushin= g. Maybe it would be more beneficial and more efficient for the Minister of Highways and Public Works to answer the questions or at least provide some assistance to the Premier to answer the questions.
Since we didn’t get= any answers to the asphalt overlay tender question, I will ask this — ten= der 2019/20‑3468, graded aggregate seal coat, kilometre 1381.3 to kilomet= re 1389.0. That tender closed in mid-May, and as I said, contract 2019/20̴= 9;3468 didn’t close until the final days of August. So I am curious as to why those tenders were not maybe done in conjunction with one another. I am also curious as to why — since they are in fact right next door to one ano= ther — did one get graded aggregate seal coat while the other got asphalt pavement overlay.
Hon. Mr. Silver: Mr. Chair, again, in my previous response, I did mention the average amount of resurfacing that we’ve been doing here in the Yukon. I will state it again for the rec= ord: 130 kilometres of BST and also 10 kilometres of asphalt — that is par= t of the answer. I know it didn’t answer his extremely specific question o= n a specific tender, but in general, we do prioritize repairs, contracts, and services out of Highways and Public Works based on many factors, including safety, cost, traffic volumes, impact to communities, and impact to industr= y. All of those things are taken into consideration — whether it is a brushing contract or asphalt overlay or other things.
The member opposite can be confident that the Department of Highways and Public Works prioritizes proj= ects on a timely basis and does their best to make sure that they get all of the projects out the door in a timely fashion, whether it be brushing, asphalt overlay, or even bridge inspections. Last year, we allocated $23 milli= on to bridge inspections, maintenance, and repairs.
Again, I am very confiden= t in the work that the Department of Highways and Public Works does to prioritize on= a whole-of-community basis when it comes to these projects. So to the member opposite’s question — there are lots of extenuating factors as = to how projects get tendered, but also as to how they get prioritized based on those factors that I mentioned.
Mr. Hassard: It’s quite clear that the Premier isn’t capable or able to answer these questions, and like I said, he = has every option to ask the minister who sits right behind him for some assista= nce on these answers. But his open and accountable government refuses to do tha= t.
So the question I asked w= as quite simple: Why did one contract which was neighbouring the other contract R= 12; why was one BST and one asphalt, Mr. Chair?
Hon. Mr. Silver: Again, if I compared records of general debate, I would say that I’m probably answering these questio= ns a lot more thoroughly than the previous government did in general debate. The only difference is that it’s not attached with 10 or 20 minutes of telling us why we’re a better party or worse party or that type of st= uff. What we’ll do instead is we will endeavour to answer those general questions in general debate, and if there are specific questions the members want as well, then we will endeavour as well to get back to them with those very, very specific questions. But again, we make strategic investments to = keep these vital links safe and open for businesses and we will continue to do s= o. Again, if there are these specific questions then yes, we will endeavour to= get back to the member opposite with those answers.
Mr. Hassard: So since the Premier doesn’t seem= to be interested or doesn’t want to ask for help to answer very general questions on Highways and Public Works — why was one pavement and why= was one BST? That’s pretty general, Mr. Chair. The asphalt payment overlay project was not forecasted — it wasn’t budgeted for anywhere I was able to find. So maybe the Premier as the Minister of Finance — surely, he can answer a finance question — can tell us where = the funding came from for that project.
Hon. Mr. Silver: That would be coming out of Transportation Maintenance.
Mr. Hassard: As I said, I was unable to find it forecasted or budgeted anywhere, so maybe the Premier could be a little more specific as to where we might find that.
Mr. Hassard: It is interesting that the Premier is just upset because I am asking very specific — and I am using tender numbers — and then he asks me if I coul= d be more specific. I have already said that the tender was 2019/20-3595. It is = an asphalt overlay project from kilometre 1370.2 to 1378.9 of the Alaska Highw= ay. So I don’t know how much more specific I could get.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I didn’t mean to upset the member opposite. I just didn’t hear him say the Alaska Highway. I apologize if somehow he took offence to me not hearing what came from him. But again, that specific line, he can find in t= he main estimates which we debated on the floor of the Legislative Assembly in= the spring — page 14(10), under Highways and Public Works, Operation and = Maintenance, Vote 55(1).
Mr. Hassard: I will co= me back to that one once I have had an opportunity to look at that. I think it= is interesting that the Premier felt that I was getting upset. I certainly wasn’t upset, but I also think it is interesting that he just stood h= ere and told us that there was 10 kilometres of asphalt done, but apparently he= had no idea where that 10 kilometres of work actually happened. It is pretty interesting, Mr. Chair.
I have a couple of questions regarding rural roads. I’m curious to find= out how Highways and Public Works determines which projects will be done in-hou= se and which projects will be done through either contracts or third-party ren= tal agreements.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I would say that the urgency is definitely a part of that, but to the member opposite, nothing has changed since the time that he was in government as f= ar as how we prioritize that. As the member opposite would know, urgency is an extremely important part of that process. We don’t have anything to report as far as a change in policy from when the member opposite was in government.
Mr. Hassard: I am curi= ous that the Premier would say that it has to do with priority. The reason I am asking is that I have a constituent north of Teslin who applied for rural r= oad upgrades a couple of years ago and Highways and Public Works talked with so= me local contractors about getting the work done. It was this time of year and= it was very late in the season, so the project didn’t go ahead. Then the contractors were anticipating that this work would happen this spring, but = in fact Highways and Public Works did the work in-house.
The interesting thing about this project is that there are two separate roads g= oing to this gentleman’s property, and the government actually did an upgr= ade not to the road that the application was made for, but they did upgrades to= a different road — still leading to the gentleman’s property. He = has assured me that Highways did a very professional job and he is very happy w= ith the work that they did, but he wants to know what happened to his project. = Is his project now dead in the water? Did somebody arbitrarily change his proj= ect so that his project is no longer on the books? Or will his project actually= be done at some point in the future, Mr. Chair?
Hon. Mr. Silver: = Mr. Chair, I believe that the member opposite is referring to the rural road upgrade program. Yes, so for that, we do provide financial support for the improvem= ent of maintained and unmaintained Yukon roads. Those rural upgrade program fun= ds are typically targeted for projects that serve public transportation needs.= On the unmanned rural residential roads, preference is usually given to communities based on applicants, where property owners provide or agree to provide financial or in-kind contributions.
There are some limitations to the support — limitations such as preference given to projects that serve community interests. Private roads or driveways are not eligible for support under this program. Without knowing this case — the program is also not designed for land developers or sellers who receive financial benefits rather than transportation-based benefits from upgrading projects. Another limitation is that the RRUP financial supports = to proponents is contingent upon available Yukon government funding.
This is a case-by-case situation based on requests and input from property owners — subject to approvals of funding as well. All of this information is available to the member opposite on our website. If the member opposite wou= ld want to share with me this particular constituency issue, then we can definitely take a look into that particular Yukoner’s file.
Mr. Hassard: I would b= e happy to share that information with the Premier, and Mr. Newell, I’m sure, will be very happy to find out what happened to his project and where= it may be going in the future.
If I could just go back for a minute to the paving contract — the Premier says that on page 14-10 there is a budget line item for that paving project. Since I don’t have those documents in front of me and I’m sure = that he obviously does, would he be able to give us a breakdown on that item, please, Mr. Chair?
Hon. Mr. Silver: = On the contrary — again, we do have the mains here, and the member opposite = has access to the mains. I referenced the page — in general debate —= ; of 14-10 in Highways and Public Works. The member opposite had an opportunity = to discuss this in Committee of the Whole in the mains. He didn’t at that time, and that’s fine. Things change from then until now, but that is= a specific piece of a line item that wouldn’t be available in the mains= . So I do not have that specific breakdown at my fingertips, but I will get that information to the member opposite.
Mr. Hassard: I appreci= ate the Premier offering to get us that breakdown.
Mr. Chair, earlier this year, I wrote a letter to the Minister of Highways and Public Works regarding electronic speed signs in the Drury Creek area. Constituents there felt that, once people passed the grader station and got across the bridge, they tended to speed up again quite rapidly, even though the speed = zone carries on for quite some time.
In his response, the minister said — and I will quote from his letter: “It has been found that speed display devices lose their impact as th= ey become more common, and their effectiveness decreases as local drivers beco= me accustomed to them.” So I have a couple of questions for the Minister= of Highways and Public Works regarding speed signs. I am wondering if the department could provide us with what they feel is the optimal number of sp= eed signs throughout the territory.
I am also curious as to what the schedule is of those signs being moved aroun= d. If they feel that they have been there too long and people become accustome= d to them and no longer obey them, then do they have a schedule for moving those signs around? If they do, then when they are in the process of moving signs from one area to another, maybe they could possibly look at the option of putting it up in the Drury Creek area for a determined period of time.
Hon. Mr. Silver: = I do echo the comments from the minister responsible. When these signs are left = in certain areas, people do become accustomed to them. I know, Mr. Chair, that you have a long journey when you come back and forth — as I do as well and as does the member opposite. We do go through communities and you = know where these signs are in some of the communities. They are effective, but again, it is important that the department moves these signs around into different positions. They do that to accommodate for the fact that, if they= are left in certain communities, they will just become as usual as a road sign saying the posted speed limit. So it’s a very effective approach R= 12; and kudos to the department for doing this — to move these signs arou= nd to make sure that they do appear in different areas where they haven’t been before.
There is an operational policy and guidelines that are used, and the Department of Highways and Public Works does work whole-of-government on this. For exampl= e, with the Department of Education, they have two per school being procured. = As we speak, we’re looking at procurement there. We are trying to increa= se the amount that we have.
I appreciate the member opposite’s concern with this specific road, and= we will definitely get that information to the department and see if it’s something that they’re willing to consider. Again, there are lots of different areas and not necessarily a lot of these signs. Sometimes these s= igns as well — they suffer the ill effects of being on an all-weather road. Spending time in minus 40 doesn’t help these signs, and they do have a tendency to sometimes go into disrepair and need to be either changed out or fixed up. But again, an extremely important part of the safety of our rural roads is the commitment from Highways and Public Works to these signs. Agai= n, we will take the member opposite’s request under consideration as the department works whole-of-government to provide safety and to improve the safety of our roads for all Yukoners.
Mr. Hassard: It’s interesting that the Premier says he echoes the comments of the Minister of Highways and Public Works in regard to this. He wouldn’t have to echo them if he would just let the minister stand up and answer the question and then maybe we would have actually got an answer to whether Highways and Pub= lic Works would consider — when moving their signs, if they would actually consider moving it into the Drury Creek area.
Mr. Chair, a question regarding Highways and Public Works regarding Jersey barriers — we know that not long before that late August tender for paving = 212; which I talked about earlier — before that contract was let, the government used one of their $1‑million contracts to build and install Jersey barriers.
Interestingly enough, one of the sections that they installed these Jersey barriers ̵= 2; well, two sections of the Jersey barriers actually were installed in this 8= .7 kilometres that was about to be paved. I’m curious, Mr. Chair, a= s to if the government has any idea how much extra the paving job cost for the contractor to have to then remove and reinstall the Jersey barriers that had just been installed just a few weeks before.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I believe that the complete budget, year after year — for two years now — was $1 million per year for this particular initiative.=
Mr. Hassard: Maybe I w= ill try a different language and then maybe the Premier will understand the question. No, I will keep this language.
The question was: How much extra was added onto the paving contract in order to remove and then re-install the concrete Jersey barriers that had just been installed a few weeks before the paving contract was let?
Hon. Mr. Silver: = The member opposite can put personal attacks in all he wants as far as my competency here in this position. That’s fine.
I gave him a number overall, which is $1 million per year over two years= for Yukon-wide initiatives when it comes to these Jersey barriers. When he is talking about this specific contract, I believe that the cost he is looking= for is about $10,000.
Mr. Hassard: So just to clarify — the Premier is saying that it was approximately $10,000 to remove and re-install all of the Jersey barriers for the paving project bet= ween kilometre 1370.2 and 1378.9, Mr. Chair?
Hon. Mr. Silver: = The original question was how much additional money — so I answered the member opposite’s question about how much additional money, which was about $10,000.
Mr. Hassard: Sorry, Mr= . Chair, I had one more question about the Drury Creek area. I should have touched on this when I was talking about the electric speed sign.
I know that we have talked a lot about brushing, and the Premier has talked a= bout how sometimes we want more brushing and sometimes other members of the Legislature want less brushing. I tend to lean more on the more brushing si= de; however, I do have a constituent who has concerns with what they feel to be excessive brushing in their neighbourhood. It is in the Drury Creek area. <= /span>
Their property is actuall= y in the 50-kilometres-per-hour zone. So my question for Highways and Public Works w= as: Would they look — on a case-by-case basis — at saying, well, si= nce the area is in a lower speed zone — and don’t get me wrong, Mr.= Chair; I am a very strong proponent of brushing and safety and allowing ample time= for animals to be seen. However, in this case, I wonder if there is a little bi= t of a difference — since it is in a 50-kilometre-per-hour zone, if Highwa= ys and Public Works would re-evaluate the full 20-metre brushing that they normally would do and maybe accommodate the homeowner in some way.
Hon. Mr. Silver: The member opposite is correct= on the fact that, when living in wilderness communities, it is extremely impor= tant to have a line of sight for wild animals on those highways and into communi= ties as well. It is extremely important, in those areas that have a slower speed zone, to work with the communities and to make sure that we make all effort= s to address community needs. But, at the same time, the primary focus is safety= on our roads. I believe that this ministry has done an extraordinary job of working with the communities but also coming up with a new way of doing thi= ngs as far as a five-year plan to get all of the brushing done on our roads and highways. That is extremely important, and it is something that hasn’t been done before.
The member opposite shoul= d be happy that, again, we are doing more brushing than the previous government. This is a highway situation where, if there is a specific constituent, we definitely look at every single situation. If the member opposite wants to share the information about which specific constituent this is, we could ta= lk with that specific constituent as well about how we plan and what we do whe= n it comes to planning for slower speed limit areas compared to those highway sections.
We will always look to ma= ke sure that things are safe. If the member opposite wants to share the information — I mean, we know the specific area that he is talking about, but he = has mentioned a specific constituent as well.
We are happy to always go= back and make sure that safety is being taken into consideration but also that we are engaging with the residents of these affected communities.
When it comes to the brus= hing component — again, just to be clear — this is an extremely important endeavour. There have been, over the years, areas that have had 40-year-old trees in there, and to narrow that down to a five- or six-year brushing cycle — it is extremely important to get those areas done th= at have not been done in the past 40 years.
When it comes to assessin= g the sites and stuff, speed is an extremely important factor. There are many factors, = but we are willing to take a look at a particular area if there is a complaint = or a particular constituent who wants to work with us on this.
Mr. Hassard: Mr. Chair, you probably know that there aren’t a lot of people who put as many miles on around the Yuko= n as I do in a year, and I certainly understand the importance of brushing.
I’m happy to hear t= he Premier say that Highways and Public Works does work at these types of thin= gs individually. I know that this constituent has written to the Minister of Highways and Public Works on two occasions and still has not received any response, but I certainly will be sending them a clip from the Blues assuri= ng them that Highways and Public Works looks at these issues on a case-by-case basis, so I appreciate that.
Mr. Chair, if we cou= ld, I wouldn’t mind moving into your neck of the woods and talking about the Mayo aerodrome. On March 13, the Minister of Highways and Public Works stoo= d in this Legislature and gave us a ministerial statement where he talked about = the importance of the investment in the Mayo aerodrome and how they were commit= ted to spending $5 million this year on the Mayo aerodrome. Unless a whole bunch of work has happened without going out to tender that I don’t k= now about — the member who lives in Mayo may have some more information on this too, but hopefully we could get some information from Highways and Pub= lic Works on this because it appears that, as far as I can tell, just less than $1.15 million has been spent on the Mayo aerodrome.
We have heard great fanfa= re about the importance of accurate budgeting, the importance of the five-year capit= al plan, et cetera. We sat through the ministerial statement, hearing about th= e $5 million, so I am just curious about what has happened to that other $3.85 milli= on or thereabouts.
Hon. Mr. Silver: It is a timely question, as Transport Canada is on-site in Mayo as we speak. They are there for certification reasons. Again, when we’re working with the federal government, we have to make sure that the certifications are there. Buying lights for night is an extremely important part of this upgrade, so we are looking at that for this winter — installing those hopefully by next = summer or somewhere in that time frame.
Again, that’s an up= date for right now, but I believe the complete number for those upgrades to the aerodrome is roughly $1.1 million. It is an extremely important upgrad= e to the aerodrome in Mayo. As you know better than anyone, Mr. Chair, activities in that aerodrome have increased significantly. We had Joe Sparl= ing from Air North, Yukon’s Airline come up to Dawson City for the paving= of the runway and the opening up of the maintenance facility as well, and he talked about how important it was to upgrade that facility and the cost-sav= ings to the private sector that this Yukon Liberal government initiative has afforded the airline.
In some of my earlier yea= rs here as a Yukoner, Canadian Airlines was still around at that time, and a one-way ticket was well over $600, $700, or sometimes even $800 if you had to book without a lot of advance notice. Again, to enable us to work with the priva= te sector and make sure that we put some dollars into some of these airports t= hat have really not received a lot of funding in the past, it’s extremely important.
One of those things is in= the Mayo area — to add lights to that runway — and some other upgra= des. It comes with increases to O&M, so making sure that we have considered = that as we put these capital investments in is extremely important as well. I believe the O&M increases for this are not insignificant, but again, wh= en you take a look at the benefit for the community, the benefit for Victoria Gold, it’s extremely important. It’s nice to see regular flights coming in from Air North into that area.
Aircraft movement has inc= reased significantly in Mayo because lead is up 14 percent this year — extremely important — compared to the 2017‑18 year. Scheduled flights are up to eight times per week in 2019 — zero scheduled fligh= ts in 2016. As we see the mining industry expand and as we see the private sec= tor reaping the benefits of that, it’s important that we, as a government, modernize our facilities, whether it be in Dawson or Mayo or other regions.=
In July, First Nations de= livered a double-wide trailer to accommodate increased passenger traffic in that ar= ea — what a great partnership with the Na‑Cho Nyäk Dun to make sure that we work hand-in-glove with the governments in those communities a= s we upgrade our assets that desperately needed those upgrades.
Chair: Do members wish to take a brief recess?
All Hon. Members: Agreed.
Chair: Committee of the Whole will recess for 15 minutes.=
Recess
Chair: Committee of the Whole will now come to order.
The matter before Committ= ee is continuing general debate on Bill No. 200, entitled Second Appropriation Act 2019‑20.
Mr. Hassard: We are talking about electronic signs f= or speed control. I had another question on signs that I kind of forgot about.= I know that there have been numerous questions around business signs in a hig= hway right-of-way, and I know that the government has been working on a policy f= or signage and highway rights-of-way.
I am just curious as to i= f there are any updates as to whether that policy has now been completed and is in effect, or if it is still being done in the way that it has been done previously.
Hon. Mr. Silver: We do have one that is in effe= ct now.
Mr. Hassard: Would the Premier be able to inform this House as to when that policy was completed and put into effect, Mr. Ch= air?
Hon. Mr. Silver: Mr. Chair, same policy.= p>
Mr. Hassard: There hasn’t ever been a policy, = to the best of my knowledge, and I know that Highways and Public Works had been working on a policy. The Premier said that it’s the same policy, so I guess I am curious as to when that policy came into effect.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I guess that we are going to a= gree to disagree. There has been a policy for several years now, and we have mad= e no effective changes to that policy.
Mr. Hassard: There were some concerns from citizens = and from the Member for Watson Lake regarding street lights in and around the community of Watson Lake. Highways and Public Works had done a study. It ca= me back and felt that street lights were not necessary. The Member for Watson = Lake then presented this Legislature with a petition from community members, and= the minister committed to reassessing the situation. We are just curious as to whether or not there has been another study done or where that project might be.
Hon. Mr. Silver: There is nothing new to report= on the conversation that has been had already, I believe, in Question Period h= ere on the floor of the Legislative Assembly.
I will add that when we w= ent to the community of Watson Lake and spoke with, not only the mayor and council, but the chief and council — one, we were blown away with the sophistication of both the mayor and the chief and their understanding of issues and their willingness as well to work together so that the community itself at large would be where we can coordinate efforts and make sure that= the community’s needs are reflective of the whole community. So it was a fantastic conversation.
We did have a conversatio= n about a specific set of street lights — not necessarily the ones that the Member for Watson Lake brought up in the Legislative Assembly — but we did have a really productive conversation. It went along the lines of First Nations with certain abilities to access federal funds that a municipality = may not have because of stacking abilities — whether or not we wanted to = have a conversation — if the community wanted to have a conversation about= some type of a net endeavour there where we can come together on something small= to begin with and then maybe that could precipitate some bigger project in the future. Again, we’re not leading that conversation. It was one of tho= se conversations that was best served to have a meeting with the mayor and the chief, and we are going to follow up the lead from there.
I have nothing new to rep= ort on that, but I do have to say that under that Minister of Community Services’ leadership — I think it’s a very smart approach= for this government to do as much as it possibly can in all communities —= to try to do tri‑lateral conversation with the leaders in those communit= ies. In doing so, you’re not having one conversation in one area and then another conversation somewhere else. You have everybody — the mayor, chief, and the minister responsible — in a room together discussing h= ow the community can lead infrastructure projects — whether they be smal= ler items like street lights or larger items. We all know the needs in Watson L= ake when it comes to — I mean, you have a community that is the first community that most people see when they’re driving up the highway of= the Yukon. What an opportunity that is for the tourism industry. What an opportunity it is to showcase our culture and our heritage together as a community and build some assets together that the community can be proud of= .
From the original convers= ations that we had in the Legislative Assembly — nothing new to report other than we have met with Watson Lake, and absolutely — if these are community priorities, then we will look into executing them. The particular string of lights the member opposite is talking about comes with an expense, but it also comes with a desire from this government to make sure that the = community prioritizes projects and we work on the community’s priorities.
Mr. Hassard: It also sounds like a good way for the government to pass the buck.
But at the end of the day= , the question is: Is Highways and Public Works going to follow up? The minister stood here in this Legislature and, in his response to the petition, said t= hat he would be following up — doing another study or whatever — I forget the exact wording, Mr. Chair. So my question is: Is the minister doing what he said he was going to do here on the floor of the Legislature?=
Hon. Mr. Silver: I don’t look at it as passing the buck at all. This government worked extremely hard to get flexi= bility for federal dollars and enabled more opportunities — not less opportunities, but more opportunities — for communities to access 25-= cent dollars from the federal government. Whether that materializes or not, it’s not up to us to decide. We will continue to work on the prioriti= es of the community, as addressed by the community.
If there’s an oppor= tunity outside of those priorities to work on other projects, well, that’s j= ust an added bonus. It’s not passing the buck at all; it’s creating= a new opportunity. We understand that this does take capacity, that some communities are really flexing already to address all of the issues they ha= ve with the growing economy and growing needs — so we would understand w= hy a community wouldn’t necessarily want to take up the option of having another opportunity to access federal dollars. That’s fine. We will s= till prioritize the community’s assets from their perspective, not ours — so that’s what we’ll continue to do.
For the minister to be ab= le to get different levels of government in the room together — that’= s an extraordinary feat in some communities. We have had the conversation here on the floor of the Legislative Assembly about a half‑million dollars for this particular project that the member opposite is talking about for what seems to be, from our statistical analysis — from our data — ab= out five pedestrians a day and only a few vehicles — and again, only necessary six months of the year because of sunlight. The study results have come into that. It would be a half‑million dollars in initial cost. There’s no new study; that information is readily available to the members opposite.
They have already done two studies, and basically, there are only a few pedestrians per day. That is w= here we are right now. Again, there are a few off-road vehicles as well, so we w= ill continue to work with the community, work with the mayors and councils and chiefs and councils in the communities and identify priorities.
The one thing that I hear= d loud and clear when we went on our community tour from the Department of Communi= ty Services — whether it was from the specific community representatives, public servants, or the deputy minister or the minister himself — was that these priorities are going to be the communities’ priorities. If= these priorities change from the community basis, we will do our best to accommod= ate those changes, but again, I believe that this government is doing a very effective job to make sure that community perspectives and priorities are b= eing dealt with, with the lead from the communities themselves.
Mr. Hassard: It is interesting that the Premier has = made this statement. It appears that the Minister of Highways and Public Works is going to go back on his commitment that he made here in this Legislature. I think it’s interesting that the Premier can say that he and the Minis= ter of Community Services went to Watson Lake, had one meeting, and determined = that the community has different priorities. I guess I don’t know what the= MLA for Watson Lake is supposed to tell the — in the neighbourhood of = 212; 400 community members who signed the petition — that the government talked to someone else and determined that their street lights are not a priority.
I like to believe that ML= As coming in from the communities, whether it’s the Member for Watson La= ke or the Premier himself coming in from his own community in Dawson, tend to = have a pulse on their community. It’s interesting that the Premier thinks = that they can swoop in and, in a matter of a couple of hours, determine what the priorities are for a community over someone who has lived in that community every day for the last 10, 20, 30, or 40 years. It’s also interesting that it appears that the minister is going back on his commitment that he m= ade here in the Legislature, but I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised ab= out that.
If I could go back to the= sign policy for a minute — after I asked the question, I had a noted hande= d to me from the Member for Kluane that says that the business community belongi= ng to the St. Elias Chamber of Commerce has been told that, until the new sign policy is finished, signs within the highway right-of-way cannot be put up. That was my understanding as well.
I can get the Member for = Kluane to send this information directly to the Premier or the Minister of Highways and Public Works, but that was my understanding as well. I guess that is wh= y I maybe appeared to have been a little surprised when the Premier said that t= his policy is there and it has been there for a long time. Maybe if the Premier= has any further insight on that, he could enlighten us.
Also, moving on, I had qu= estions on the float plane base here in Whitehorse at Schwatka= Lake. I am curious if the government is working with the City of Whitehorse= to deal with issues that we heard about this fall at the = Schwatka Lake float plane base.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I do take issue with the characterization of my answer by the member opposite. Again, when identifyi= ng the cost of a project, that is exactly what I am doing — identifying = the cost of a project. When identifying the number of people who use that particular area, all that I am doing is identifying that.
Then I went into my answe= r, saying that we want to make sure that our priorities in our communities come from those communities. For the member opposite to say that I went to one meeting and, therefore, I am going to make a decision on the fate of Watson Lake is simply — it’s just not true, Mr. Chair.
Again, when he is talking= about members of the community who have lived there all their lives, I would say = that mayor and council, chief and council — probably a good place to start= , as well — and the member opposite as well, the MLA for the area — absolutely, a great place to start when it comes to information from the community — 100 percent. For him to take my answer and make it s= eem like we are going to obfuscate or we are going to move off a project or a priority, that is just simply not the case. That is just him trying to divi= de a wedge between my ministers and me. We have made over —
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Point
of order
Chair: Mr. Cathers, on a point of order.
Mr. Cathers: I think the Premier, in his last rambli= ng narrative, just accused the Leader of the Official Opposition of uttering a falsehood, and that is clearly in contravention of Standing Order 19(h). I would urge you to call him to order and have him apologize for his remarks = and retract them.
Chair: Mr. Streicker, on the point of order.
Hon. Mr. Streicker: We seem to have talked about this quite a bit. The last time we discussed the word — I will have to find the word — but it was “deliberate falsehood”, and th= at is not what the Premier just did. He said that he wasn’t correct, what was said wasn’t true, and he did not suggest that it was deliberate in any way.
Chair’=
;s
ruling
Chair: I tend to agree with Mr. Streicker on this on= e. There is no point of order.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I will continue to put my words into Hansard, as opposed to having the Leader of the Official Opposition try his darnedest to interpret my own words for his own narrative. We want to m= ake sure that the communities are the ones that lead the conversation about priorities for the communities.
Being able to join the mi= nister on a community tour is an absolutely fantastic way to make sure that the in= formation that I get when I am here coordinates with the leaders in those communities= . I don’t know how the member opposite can construe that in any other way= .
Identifying the cost of a= project is, again, being more open and accountable. Having 120 community tours this year alone — one visit every three days — is a great opportunity for us to be able to have a finger on the pulse of the community.
Back to his original ques= tion, he mentioned again something about a policy that we have. I have answered that question. That policy has been in place for several years.
When it comes to the Schwatka Lake water aerodrome, the Government of Yuko= n is not assuming operational control of that particular area. There are 338 registered or certified water aerodromes in Canada, none of which are opera= ted by provincial or territorial governments. At this time, the Government of Y= ukon does not see a need to be the first. I will ask the members opposite —= ; if that is what they are asking — if they want us to take on that responsibility or, more, to just have a conversation with the mayor and cou= ncil about the potential there.
Any party interested in u= sing the lake around Schwatka Lake must apply for the appropriate authorizations, and that is through Energy, Mines and Resources= and also the City of Whitehorse. Applicants should be aware that their proposals must comply with the Whitehorse official community plan, as well as all applicable land use plans and zoning bylaws.
We will continue to work = with all municipalities on priorities and responsibilities and make sure that we pro= vide great opportunities for our private sector interests.
Mr. Hassard: Almost thought maybe I struck a nerve t= here when I suggested that maybe the Premier needed to spend more than a few hou= rs in a community to decide whether he knew the priorities of the community be= tter than 400 people who actually live there.
Mr. Chair, I certain= ly wasn’t suggesting anything to the government in regard to the Schwatka Lake float plane base. I was just merely ask= ing if they were working with the city in any way to help alleviate some of the concerns that had gone on there this fall. I guess if the government is assisting the city at all, the Premier can answer that next time he is on h= is feet or maybe let the minister answer his own questions.
Regarding aerodromes R= 12; I’m curious as to why the tender for resurfacing the Teslin aerodrome= was cancelled.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I agree with the member opposi= te that there has been lots of conversation with the municipality on the aerod= rome specifically. Again, we’re following mayor and council’s lead w= hen it comes to something that is within their responsibility, but with the applications through Energy, Mines and Resources. I know that both my Minis= ter of Highways and Public Works and the Deputy Premier have had lengthy conversations. Also, we know this has been a conversation with the municipa= lity and the mayor and council. Again, we will not necessarily get into that way when it comes to the priorities or the responsibilities of municipalities in that pursuit.
I don’t have anythi= ng new to report on the cancellation of a tender in Teslin on the aerodrome. I bel= ieve this question has been asked of the minister responsible in the past in the Legislative Assembly. There are no new updates on the information that has already been provided to the member opposite on the contract for the Teslin aerodrome.
Mr. Hassard: If that question was asked in the Legislature, I certainly didn’t hear it. That’s why I’m asking it this afternoon.
One other thing — b= efore I move on from the Watson Lake street lights, I just would like to remind the Premier that highways are actually the responsibility of Highways and Public Works and the Yukon government. It’s not the responsibility of either= the mayor and council or the chief and council, so just maybe for him to think = on that one when he’s answering these questions.
So we’ve heard that Highways and Public Works or that the government is intending to review or = redo the Motor Vehicles Act in the f= uture. Mr. Chair, as you probably remember, I tabled a motion regarding “slow down, move over” legislation, which unfortunately the government amended to death, we’ll say. So, Mr. Chair, I’m curious as to if we can be enlightened as to whether “slow down, move over” legislation will be incorporated in the work regarding the Motor Vehicles Act.
Hon. Mr. Silver: If I was wrong about the Teslin aerodrome conversation not being in the Legislative Assembly, then I do apologize. I seem to recall that it was and at that point seeming to recall that the issue was the Government of Canada. There was a legal issue with t= he Government of Canada — I’m quite certain this conversation was = in the Legislative Assembly — and problems with the devolution transfer = in that. Those are the issues as to why this project is stalled.
Again, as far as responsi= bilities in communities — I am well aware of the responsibilities and overlapp= ing responsibilities of territorial governments versus municipal governments and First Nation governments.
The member opposite also = asked about safety policies. These have absolutely been identified — absolu= tely — along with other needs. As we move forward on much-needed upgrades = to this particular act — it’s a big pursuit and one that should ha= ve happened long ago, but didn’t — we will be addressing that as p= art of the Motor Vehicles Act. Ther= e will be more to come on that as that act gets developed and consulted on within = the communities.
We know the motion that t= he member opposite put forward. We definitely did a friendly amendment to it, = and again, as we go down that process on the Motor Vehicles Act, we will definitely be addressing the safety policy concer= ns and issues that the member opposite has presented. We are addressing this as part of the bigger rewrite.
Mr. Hassard: A question regarding costs of maintenan= ce and repairs at the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter — I am wondering if we could find out what those costs are now, Mr. Chair.
Hon. Mr. Silver: Again, there is nothing to rep= ort as far as costs associated with the emergency shelter. Those costs — = if we had identified new costs — would have been in the supplementary budget. There is no line item for that, although I will say that conversati= ons are ongoing with the communities. Conversations are ongoing on many differe= nt initiatives to ease the pressures that the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter is addressing right now. I have to say that the use of it obviously has increa= sed. That is a good thing. The pressures therein have caused some concerns ̵= 2; absolutely — with the business community around it.
The Department of Health = and Social Services is dealing with these issues, and it is an extremely import= ant part of our continuing care, of our mental wellness strategy, of a myriad of different attempts and efforts, whole-of-government.
We have seen significant reductions in opioid deaths. We have seen significant decreases in assault.= But we are also seeing things that used to be in the woods now happening in our streets because of an additional care. We understand the concerns, absolute= ly, but we also know that, with the collaborative care model and with more supp= orts for mental health and addictions, we are trying to not only just provide da= ily supports for individuals who are in need, but long-term supports to get peo= ple into safe housing — Housing First — and long-term supports to g= et people back to their communities where there is care, and trying to identif= y how we can make sure that, when we do that, they are not going back into the ex= act same situation that caused them to struggle in the first place. It is a lot= to consider.
We have come out of a gov= ernment that was acute care, and now we are trying to address issues head-on. We are trying to increase the supports — and we are and we have — when= it comes to mental health services. We had a building that was built by the previous government and a faith-based system that was installed with the previous government. The Salvation Army, with the tools that they had, did a fantastic job for a long time in this community and in a very small buildin= g. We owe a lot to the Salvation Army, but with a new model of care comes new responsibilities. I believe that the Department of Health and Social Servic= es is doing a great job to identify how to move forward, working with our partners, working with the non-governmental organizations and trying to fin= d a method forward.
I do understand the member opposite’s concern that we do need to move some new pieces into place= to make sure that the continuum of care is completed. I don’t have anyth= ing new to respond today. The Minister of Health and Social Services has been on her feet on this particular issue a few times in the Legislative Assembly t= his session, and there is nothing necessarily new to say other than that those harm reduction strategies are employed at this facility. We just opened up EMR services yesterday, which is fantastic and will see huge cost reductions wh= en it comes to the care of our most vulnerable citizens.
With the emergency unit a= t the hospital, the RCMP, and the Sarah Steele facility all together, we’ll= see a reduction — absolutely — and we’re going to continue to work on these harm reduction strategies.
Other than that, I really don’t have too much more as far as financial costs identified at this point.
Mr. Hassard: I have a question regarding Dempster fi= bre. I’m sure that if the Premier or the Highways and Public Works minister isn’t able to answer it, the Minister of Economic Development will be happy to jump in for me. I’m curious if the fibre line will be plowed into the highway right-of-way, or will there be a separate right-of-way for= the fibre line?
Hon. Mr. Silver: I have to say that this file h= as been one that we have been talking about in the Legislative Assembly for a = long time. I’m very happy to see a solution that’s in-country, takin= g a look at the previous plan to go into Juneau, and how that kind of unravelle= d at the time as far as what happens after a 10-year contract and the responsibilities for the assets. There were so many questions at that time.= To have the Minister responsible for Economic Development and the Yukon Development Corporation come in and make sense of and unravel a conversation that was happening for way too long to provide an essential service, in my opinion, of redundancy — I have to commend the Deputy Premier for his work and his team’s work to get this project moving forward. It was definitely stalled. It was interesting to see this government take that responsibility and actually move forward on it. That request for proposals = is going forward this winter, and it is not built into the road, so the member opposite can take that information. Again, there will be more details on th= at as the request for proposal moves forward.
Mr. Hassard: It is interesting the way that the Prem= ier characterizes how it went, but at any rate, it’s a very much-needed a= nd very important project.
My question was: Is it be= ing plowed into the highway right-of-way, or will there be an additional right-of-way just strictly for the fibre line, Mr. Chair?
Hon. Mr. Silver: In the current right-of-way, M= r. Chair.
Mr. Hassard: I appreciate that.
There has been some talk = about the retrofitting of buildings. We heard today the Minister of Energy, Mines= and Resources talking about $120 million. Does Highways and Public Works h= ave a list of buildings that they are currently doing energy retrofits on or th= at they anticipate to do retrofits on in the near future?
Hon. Mr. Silver: Quite simply, yes to both of t= hose questions — some investigation is needed for this, but quite simply, = yes.
Mr. Hassard: Would the Premier or the Minister of Highways and Public Works be able to table the list of buildings and any projected costs as well?
Hon. Mr. Silver: Of course, that information wi= ll come out as it is readily available from the department. We have conducted assessments on 26 buildings since 2017, and we will be doing 10 more this y= ear. I don’t have any more information on that right now, but as that beco= mes available, of course — maybe we will do a ministerial statement for t= he member opposite. We will definitely have that information available on a ti= mely basis.
Mr. Hassard: I am sure that the Premier is correct t= hat there will be a ministerial statement on it.
I just had one last quest= ion at this point in time, and it is kind of an odd question, I guess. Well, maybe it’s not odd. Last week the roads were, for lack of a better term, “the shits”. When I was going home in the dark, there was a veh= icle broken down on the side of the road. RCMP were there and Highways and Public Works came to put signs up, notifying the travelling public that they neede= d to be careful ahead. I stopped to talk to the RCMP and the person who was brok= en down, and I carried on down the road very carefully to where the Highways a= nd Public Works vehicle was parked crossways on the highway. I stopped to see = why it was parked at such an odd angle. As it turned out, the vehicle was actua= lly stuck in the middle of the highway. So I parked and — hazard lights on — I proceeded to help the employee to get the vehicle to the side of = the road safely and I encouraged them to maybe just wait until the sander came = so that they could proceed safely. I asked the employee — I said, “= ;Why the heck are you out here in a two-wheel drive, one-ton, dually pickup?R= 21; The employee responded that the foremen were the only ones who have four-wh= eel drive pickups.
It’s not a question= — it would just be a recommendation for the government that maybe all rural highway camps should have more than one four-wheel drive pickup available so that when our staff do have to go out in certainly less-than-perfect conditions, they don’t have to put their lives in danger in such an instance. So that’s just a suggestion to the government that maybe Highways and Public Works — I understand the reasoning of wanting to = save the few thousand dollars to not have four-wheel drive pickups, but if it’s something that maybe they can take into consideration — th= at few thousand dollars might be very well spent.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I do want to commend the member opposite for helping. I think that’s one of the things that comes with your licence to be a Yukoner. I used to think it was illegal to not stop because of the practices that I see on a yearly basis driving back and forth from Dawson to Whitehorse. It’s just an automatic thing that we do as Yukoners to stop and to make sure — or at least as you’re drivi= ng by, giving the thumbs-up to people who have broken down on the side of the = road — and always being there to lend a hand.
I think that this is the = benefit of living in such a small community, because nine times out of 10, you are going to know that person. I wouldn’t even doubt if the Leader of the Official Opposition knew the individual who was in that car, or at least if they sat down and had a conversation, they could come within one degree of separation.
As far as the policy R= 12; or the way that it’s being portrayed by that particular public servant — of only foremen having four-wheel drive, that is not correct. Of course, not all vehicles are four-by-four. That would be nice — absolutely — but it also is extremely expensive, so again, we try to match the need to the vehicle. But to say specifically that only the foremen have four-wheel drive is not true. We would love to have the ability to have four-wheel drive for all of those vehicles, but that would be — as the member opposite knows — very expensive. It’s not necessarily the policy to just have four-wheel drive for the foremen.
Mr. Hassard: I certainly wasn’t suggesting that Highways and Public Works buy all four-wheel drives. My suggestion was that — I guess I am also not saying that only foremen have four-wheel driv= e. In this particular instance, that was the case. My suggestion was that ther= e be more — let’s say two — four-wheel drive vehicles in all r= ural camps — just to give the employees the option rather than not having = any vehicles with four-wheel drive in the camps when they are going out in situations like this.
Hon. Mr. Silver: I don’t mean to belabour= the point, but if the member opposite is saying that there is only one truck per camp that is four-wheel drive, then the assumption would be that he is sayi= ng that there are only four-wheel drive trucks available for the foreman, I wo= uld imagine. So, I will take a look into the actual amount of four-wheel drive trucks. I don’t think it’s necessarily just for the foremen. Bu= t I will take a look at it.
I appreciate the member o= pposite’s observation. Again, I hope he appreciates the response from the government, which is that we try to match the vehicle with the need, but we will take h= is recommendations under consideration.
Mr. Cathers: I would just like to follow up with the Premier with some Highways and Public Works-related questions.
In most cases, I’m = going to refer to some of the things that were outlined in the budget earlier this spring and ask for an update on what is being done in those areas.
For example, there was de= bate earlier today in Question Period — my colleague, the Member for Porter Creek North, had asked the Minister of Community Services questions about the Lib= eral government’s commitment during the election to invest $30 million per year as part of energy retrofits. The budget for this year shows, in the budget highlights — and I’ll just quote from it on page 4 of the budget highlights from this year: “up to $14.2 million to fund retrofits which increase the energy efficiency of Yukon buildings”.= p>
Can the Premier please ad= vise how much money the government currently is expecting to spend during this fiscal year in support of energy retrofits?
Hon. Mr. Silver: We do want to create a building retrofit program for all residential, commercial, and government buildings = in order to reduce our energy costs. We want to minimize our greenhouse gas emissions, create skilled trade jobs, and make it worthwhile to switch the source of heat away from fossil fuels. I know that, in my community, when I= was building my house in Dawson City — and I know I heard that from others’ experiences, the same — working with the construction industry — the go-to in a lot of communities is to put in certain sou= rces of heat, for sure, and try to minimize the dollar value there, get off foss= il fuels, and go toward electric. That does bring a strain onto the grid, for sure.
The program will continue to grow up to $30 million per year to implement = an energy retrofit program for residential, government, and commercial buildin= gs. We know that the federal government is looking into supporting the north’s transition to a sustainable energy future, and we would work directly with them to leverage the funding sources. With a continuation of = the same government in Ottawa, we can continue those conversations very soon. W= e do know that we are on track, I believe, for $14 million this year — mostly out of Yukon Housing Corporation, but also Community Services as wel= l.
I also know that, when it comes to the Innovative Renewable Energy Initiative, which was over four years — that was a range of $5 million to $1= 0 million — completely subscribed to. First Nation housing energy retrofits = 212; that was over a four-year period — $5 million to $10 millio= n as well — all completely subscribed to. Also, completely subscribed to w= ere the staff housing and social housing energy retrofits, plus the Energy, Min= es and Resources operation and maintenance rebate program as well. You add with that the money for the Arctic Energy Fund — over the years, we are looking at — in 2019‑20 — $13.9 million — clos= e to $14 million — that ramping up next year to over $31.6 milli= on — almost $31.7 million — in 2021-22, even more — clo= se to almost $35 million.
We’re seeing not only the subscription increasing, but also it is extremely impor= tant that this creates an industry for the private sector. So that is extremely important. Also, on top of that $14 million that I identified — = like I said, several community infrastructure projects to help municipalities and First Nations with their buildings — the Teslin Tlingit Council, for example, or the Town of Watson Lake as well, with some of these initiatives that I mentioned.
Mr. Cathers: I appreci= ate the answer and I would also appreciate if the Premier could indicate if tho= se are new federal commitments and money or if they are already shown in the fiscal framework. I do just have to point out for the record, while we are here, that the commitment made by the Minister of Community Services in the press conference during the campaign in 2016 prior to being elected was not= a commitment of “up to” a $30‑million investment; it was a = commitment of a $30‑million investment. Again, part of our job here in this Asse= mbly is to hold the government to account for the campaign commitments that they made to Yukoners and point out when they are not achieving those commitment= s.
I am going to move to a couple of other highways areas. That includes just following up on some of the projects that we had some debate on in the Legislative Assembly, as they were part of the list of infrastructure priorities that our caucus brought forward as an amendment to Motion No.&nb= sp;31, tabled by the Member for Mayo-Tatchun. We didn’t really get clarity f= rom the government on whether the government is willing to consider these proposals. I would again remind the Premier though that there can sometimes= be a robust to-and-fro debate here in this Assembly and that, ultimately, the priorities that we are bringing forward are priorities that we have heard f= rom Yukon citizens. We are trying to reflect their concerns and their prioritie= s in proposing that to government. I believe that when those requests come on be= half of Yukon citizens, the government — whether through the minister or through the Premier — does owe Yukoners an answer on whether governme= nt is looking at doing that — whether they are prepared to do it and, if= so, when.
To that, I am just going to ask the Premier about items that we proposed both = in the motion last week and have previously, of course, raised with the govern= ment through a variety of means. They include the proposed improvements to the Alaska Highway and the Whitehorse corridor, including turning and through l= anes at the intersection of the Mayo Road — which was a project that was originally slated to begin last year — second, there is the request f= or a turning lane by Porter Creek Super A on the highway; third, acceleration la= nes by Alusru Road. Can the Premier indicate if the government is moving forward to address any of those items?
Hon. Mr. Silver: = Beginning with the member opposite’s first question, the Government of Yukon ha= s allocated over $120 million in territorial government and federally secured fund= ing to implement the energy-efficiency initiatives throughout Yukon. Thanks to a joint investment with the Government of Canada and our government, we are a= ble to dedicate $30 million annually specifically for energy-efficiency retrofits for residential, for commercial, and for institutional buildings. Being more energy efficient is our first line of action when identifying actions to decrease our demands for energy. This is why the Government of Y= ukon is offering those retrofit initiatives — to make upgrading insulation= and improving window quality or draft-proofing a home, commercial, or instituti= onal building accessible and affordable. That is a priority of our government. <= /span>
To date, our retrofit programs are delivering measurable benefits by relieving pressure on our energy-generation needs — as I spoke to earlier ̵= 2; reducing our collective greenhouse gas emissions and creating green jobs th= at stimulate Yukon’s economy.
The federal government funding is specifically designed to work with First Nati= on governments, municipalities, businesses, local industry, or even homeowners= on retrofitting buildings and residences to improve energy efficiency. That’s extremely important — as this government has declared a climate change emergency — to make sure that we have these types of programs put in place.
This has been something that has been extremely important to this government. The Energy, Mines and Resources mandate letter has a commitment to increase the availability of renewable energy solutions while reducing our reliance on non-renewable sources and lessening energy consumption by allocating $30&nb= sp;million annually for an energy retrofit program for residential and commercial buildings. This was part of some successful negotiating for funding around = the Government of Canada. The funding agreements, as I said — there are pretty substantial amounts of money here — when you take a look at $1= 20 million in funding over the next four fiscal years — and the total amount includes both federal and also territorial contributions.
Again, this means that approximately $30 million annually is available across government departments specifically for energy efficiencies and retrofits of existing buildings in Yukon.
In my community, talking to the private sector, people have spent their lives = as children walking through buildings of a ghost town with ashtrays and packet= s of cigarettes basically abandoned in these buildings — and then trying to breathe life into these buildings. The comment that I get from the private sector is that the best way to be energy efficient is to recycle these buildings and not throw buildings away into our landfills and to make sure = we use the resources we have. To be able to couple that with a federal and territorial commitment to $30 million per year in retrofits, working w= ith the private sector — it is extremely important to not only look at ho= w we can most effectively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, but also preserve= and protect our heritage. That’s extremely important to the people in my community for sure, and I know that it is a priority for Yukoners Yukon-wid= e.
These government energy-efficiency retrofit programs targeting not just one part = or another part of our community — but targeting homeowners, businesses, municipalities, First Nation governments, and local industry — are to= not only increase the energy efficiency of those existing homes, businesses, and institutional buildings, but are also to create that industry. I know of qu= ite a few young, entrepreneurial construction folks who are really seeing the benefit of steady, continuous funding over the next four years, which is extremely important.
The funding breakdown over four years by recipient — we have homeowners, businesses, commercial and municipal interests that can benefit from a tota= l of $23.7 million in initiatives for residential, commercial, and institutional building retrofits. That’s all being led by the Departm= ent of Energy, Mines and Resources.
The First Nation governments can benefit from a total of $10.36 million designated for their housing or community building retrofits, including the insulation of biomass-based heating systems. That is led by the Department = of Energy, Mines and Resources as well as with the Yukon Housing Corporation.<= /span>
All of Yukon’s communities, whether First Nation or municipal governments= or even town councils, can all benefit from $31.6 million available for energy audits and institutional building retrofits. That is led by Community Services and Energy, Mines and Resources. The Government of Yukon has a tot= al of $58.9 million to do energy-efficient retrofits to its social and st= aff housing, as well as the larger institutional buildings.
I do want to give credit where credit is due. The previous government did a g= reat job of energy retrofitting this building that we are in. To be able to incr= ease that to these millions and millions of dollars is extremely impor= tant work. The $58.9 million in energy-efficiency retrofits for social and staff housing is being led by the Department of Highways and Public Works, = as well as the Yukon Housing Corporation.
Again, new funding — we have spoken already about these funding buckets and where they are coming from — again, identified funding to be moving forward.
I believe that answers the member opposite’s question. I apologize if there’s a part of that question that I haven’t responded to, bu= t I can allow the member opposite to get to his feet and I can endeavour to ans= wer another part of a question that he has.
Mr. Cathers: The Premi= er did miss answering the question that I had asked about road projects, including= the project that was originally slated to happen last year — adding turni= ng and through lanes at the intersection of the Mayo Road and the Alaska Highw= ay, including widening two kilometres of the Alaska Highway, the request for a turning lane on the Alaska Highway by Porter Creek Super A, as well as acceleration lanes on the highway by Alusru Roa= d. I had asked the Premier for an indication of whether government is prepared to agree to the request that we have made on behalf of our constituents.
I’m just going to move on to another couple of areas in the area of highway maintenance. I would note, as we did in the amendment to a motion that we tabled last week — as well as the motion that my colleague, the Leade= r of the Official Opposition and critic for Highways and Public Works, read into= the record, as far as our proposed infrastructure priorities in the area of highways — if the Premier could answer that specific question as well= .
I would note that the impacts to road maintenance — the government did = cut $2.5 million this year in that budget. While we realize that there is = some benefit in trying to do things more efficiently, what we’re hearing f= rom constituents is actually a decline in service. I have received more complai= nts this year about the condition of rural roads than I’ve received in any previous year as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. I’m saying that while also acknowledging that I do receive complaints every year, including during the time that we were in government, about some roads — and especially if rain or wet snow occurs, there are times where gravel roads m= ay see damage that can be repaired but needs to be repaired before it’s = back to a normal travelling condition.
A few examples of the roads that I’ve heard complaints about this year = just recently — within the last month or, in some cases, as recently as la= st night — include the condition of Burma Road. I had a constituent cont= act me on the weekend quite upset about the condition of the road and the lack = of work that has been done in terms of fixing it with gravel due to, in part, = the heavy traffic that goes down it, travelling to the riding arena. I’ve mentioned as well the Horse Creek Road and the road to Jackfish Bay. I had a constituent contacting me last week complaining about it. Vista Road — I’ve received complaints about it as well. Takhini River Road continu= es to be the one that I receive the highest volume of complaints about.
Again, as we outlined in our constructive suggestions to government, we’re seeking a commitment from the government to upgrade Takhini River Road, including building a proper roadbed, resurfacing the road, and improving the ditches — and recognizing, of course, that there’s some enginee= ring work that needs to be done on that to make that project happen and to scope= it out.
If the Premier could answer the questions that I asked him previously, as well= as indicate in this situation whether the government is prepared to, in fact, agree to that request and move forward to act on Takhini River Road, that w= ould be appreciated.
One road that I missed on the list of ones that I have received complaints about recently — I received complaints as well about the cul-de-sac at the = end of Simmons Road in Pilot Mountain subdivision.
A constituent told me — and I quote: “Every time it rains, I have= a giant puddle the size of a bus that forms and stays for weeks.” He we= nt on to indicate that it gets rutted as school buses and others travel over it — so just a few examples of things that may not be high on the Premier’s radar screen or the minister’s, but they are concerns that I have heard from constituents. They are the real concerns and priorit= ies of Yukon citizens which we are trying to bring forward here today.= p>
The last item I will just add to the list, since — as I have mentioned be= fore in the Assembly — the first letter that I wrote to the Premier, upon = them taking office, was regarding the Takhini River bridge. At that point, I was seeking a commitment that the government would move forward with adding a walkway to the bridge — as had been in the design stages at that point — for pedestrians, cyclists, equestrians, and other users. I have yet= to get a definitive answer from government on whether they will support that priority and recognize the public concern about safety that exists, especia= lly as that road becomes more popular for cyclists both from my riding and from Whitehorse, as well as tourists in fact — cycling out to the wildlife preserve or the hot springs out there.
Additionally, regarding the bridge, we still are waiting for an indication from the government of their willingness to do planning to replace the bridge, inclu= ding widening that bridge and improving the approach, so if the Premier would provide an answer on that, that would be appreciated.
Hon. Mr. Silver: = That was a lot of questions all added together. I appreciate that we are at the = end of the day, so the member opposite wants to get these questions on the reco= rd.
Again, we are not going to make decisions on the floor of the Legislative Assembly= as far as planning projects. There is a budgetary process, so we are not prepa= red to agree right now. I have listened to the particular projects that the mem= ber opposite has spoken of, and of course as we go into the budgetary process — under the guise again of “All Communities Matter” ̵= 2; we will add this to consideration for sure.
To some of his comments — he mentioned cuts — again, not true. The= se are funds that have been reallocated to other priorities and are going to be spent, and they have been spent. They didn’t get cut — spent — just reallocated to different priorities. We do a lot of this kind = of work this time of year for sure that the member opposite is talking about.<= /span>
Of course, he will be aware with his time in government that primary highways = are definitely done first, and that takes priority. Specifically to the Takhini River Road that the member opposite mentioned — we did close to $265,= 000 worth of work in 2018‑19. This year, I believe we’re spending an additional $25,000 on that particular road. Again, we’re putting some money into the member opposite’s constituency.
The walkway on the Takhini River bridge — we do expect to get to it. Agai= n, it is expensive, but again, this would have to go through a budgetary proce= ss, and it definitely is a legitimate requirement. I will agree with the member opposite about that. But for the record, this must be stated: The Takhini R= iver bridge is safe. It was strengthened in 2017; deck pooling was repaired; and= we continue to monitor that bridge for traffic as well because it’s extr= emely important.
Mr. Chair, seeing the time, I move that you report progress.
Chair: It has been moved by= Mr. Silver that the Chair report progress.
Motion agreed to
Hon. Ms. McPhee: = I move that the Speaker do now resume the Chair.
Chair: It has been moved by= Ms. McPhee that the Speaker do now resume the Chair.
Motion agreed to
Speaker resumes the Chair= p>
Speaker: I will now call the House to order.
May the House have a report from the Chair of Committee of the Whole?
Chair’s report
Mr. Hutton: Committee = of the Whole has considered Bill No. 200, entitled Second Appropriation Act 2019‑20, and directed me to repo= rt progress.
Speaker: You have heard the report from the Chair of Committee of the Whole.
Are you agreed?
Some Hon. Members: Agr= eed.
Speaker: I declare the repo= rt carried.
The time being 5:30 p.m., this House now stands adjourned until 1:00 = p.m. tomorrow.
The House adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
The following sessional papers were =
tabled
October 22, 2019:
34-3-11
Yukon Development Corporation 2018 A= nnual Report (Pillai)
34-3-12
Yukon Energy Corporation Annual Repo= rt 2018 (Pillai)
The followi= ng document was filed October 22, 2019:
34-3-12
Independent Commission on Electoral Ref= orm, letter re (dated August 2, 2019) from Floyd W. McCormick to Hon. Nils Clarke, Speaker and Chair of Members’ Services Board (Hanson) =
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