All four candidates for Yukon Member of Parliament gathered at the Beringia Interpretive Centre to discuss First Nations concerns less than two weeks before the election.
The Council of Yukon First Nations and Association of First Nations Yukon Region hosted an all-candidates forum on Yukon First Nations issues ahead of the federal election.
On Wednesday, all four candidates for Yukon MP met at the Beringia Interpretive Centre in Whitehorse to answer questions that focused on a variety of First Nations concerns.
In answering a question about defence spending and Yukon infrastructure, incumbent MP Brendan Hanley spoke about the larger picture of Arctic Sovereignty.
“Arctic sovereignty means strong and resilient communities,” said Hanley. “So, it means investing in the fundamentals: affordable housing, food security, healthcare, education, local infrastructure, and defence.”
When asked about investing in Indigenous languages funding, Conservative candidate Ryan Leef said that the loss of languages is a tragedy.
“We really do need to make sure we are fully supportive of making sure that the eight First Nation languages celebrated in this territory are passed on to generation to generation to generation,” said Leef. “And it’s something that even non-First Nation Yukoners would benefit from themselves.”
An early question involved legislation for a Treaty Commissioner, who would facilitate meetings between the Government of Canada and First Nations governments to discuss treaty issues. Legislation for such an office was delayed by the prorogation of government earlier this year.
NDP candidate Katherine McCallum says that it’s time for that legislation to pass.
“First Nations have waited long enough,” said McCallum. “It’s been over 30 years since the promises of the Umbrella Final Agreement were made, and the lack of progress on treaty implementation is shameful on the part of the Yukon and federal governments.”
Another critical topic in the Yukon involves land use planning. Green Party candidate Gabrielle Dupont says that there’s room for improvement in that area.
“I think we can do a better job at aligning our priorities and funding, in terms of land use planning with our local partners,” said Dupont. “As a Green MP, that would be my job; to be at the table and make sure this is happening.”
The four candidates for Yukon MP will be on the ballot on April 28. Advance polls will be open this weekend.
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