Political parties rev their engines as they kick of campaigning

Monday, 15 March 2021 14:19

Currie Dixon speaks to media to launch the Yukon Party's Action for a Change Campaign

Yukon political parties have started campaigning for the 2021 territorial election. Here is what they had to say.

The Liberal party started off the week with an online press conference where Riverdale South candidate Tracey-Anne McPhee and Kluane candidate Luke Campbell spoke about making Yukon a more inclusive place to live.

McPhee says if the Liberals are re-elected, they will modernize the vital statistics act to reflect modern families and inclusive language.

“Just recently, I met with a family and it was brought to our attention that under the vital statistics act, a mother must be listed on a birth certificate, even if it is a surrogate mother with an arrangement to adopt. This means that gay fathers must go through a lengthy court-based process to have the birth certificate amended after the birth of the baby. We will change this.” Says McPhee

Luke Campbell went on to say that a Liberal government would release a comprehensive LGBTQ2S+ action plan and work with Queer Yukon to make the Yukon Pride Centre a reality.

Yukon Party leader Currie Dixon alongside Porter Creek North candidate Geraldine Van Bibber announced the party’s Action for a Change Campaign. The campaign focuses on three socio-economic pillars: economic recovery, supporting Yukon families, and safe and growing communities.

Dixon says, if elected, the Yukon Party will streamline short term relief programs for businesses.

“Over the last year I have met with many businesses and the common theme has been confusion due to the red tape caused by many overlapping and competing programs. Businesses are bounced from department to department, from government to government and this needs to be fixed. To do this we will adopt a one window approach to access those programs. We will also reverse the cuts to the Yukon business relief program and restore the hundred-thousand-dollar cap.” Says Dixon

Leader Kate White challenged the other territorial political parties to redirect their corporate donations to the food bank today as the Yukon NDP kicked off their campaign.

White says if she is elected Premier, a Yukon NDP Government will stop wealthy people and business from using their money to influence elections.

“The Yukon NDP will ban corporate and union donations in elections and cap donations so that wealthy people and business don’t have more influence than regular Yukoners like you and I.” Says White

The 2021 territorial election will be on April12th