WHITEHORSE, YT – In light of proposed budget cuts to a number of independent Government offices, The Yukon Party is raising concerns that proposed budget cuts to Elections Yukon could jeopardize the Territory’s ability to conduct the 2025 election.
In a press release on January 6th, The Opposition had cited a letter sent by the Yukon’s Chief Electoral Officer, Maxwell Harvey, to Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly Jeremy Harper on December 11th, where Harvey had stated: “I am concerned that Elections Yukon is not being given the support and tools it needs to do its job. I am not prepared to put Elections Yukon in an underfunded position and accept a level of risk prejudicial to readiness and the conduct of the next election.”
The Yukon Party is calling on the Yukon Government to ensure Elections Yukon has the funding it needs to ensure a free and fair election this year. Yukon Party critic for Democratic Institutions Brad Cathers notes that while the territory may be in hard financial shape “one area that must not be cut is the funding to conduct an election”.
Finance Minister Sandy Silver had attributed the freeze on Caucus spending to overspending last fiscal year, and notes that several offices, including Elections Yukon, are requesting budget increases for this year that exceed approved limits.
This call to action follows a letter sent to Minister Silver signed by Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, and Chair of the Members’ Services Board, Jeremy Harper, on the orders of the Board, which itself reviews the budgets for the independent offices in question. In that letter, dated December 19th, Harper had expressed the Board’s dissatisfaction with it’s exclusion from the review process.
Speaker Harper has since clarified his neutral position as Chair of the Members’ Services Board and notes that the letter issued to Minister Sandy Silver, which contained his signature, was sent on the direction of the Member Services Board itself, using the balance of power held by the Official Opposition and Third Party. In a letter on January 2nd outlining his neutrality, Harper said ‘I am troubled by the political nature of these actions and I am concerned that the decisions being made by members are for political gain and are not respecting the best interests of the offices we are responsible for.’
In addition to Speaker Harper, who chairs the board and is a non-voting member expect in instances of a tiebreaker vote, the Members’ Services Board consists of 4 other members; Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixion, Yukon Party MLA Brad Cathers, Yukon NDP Leader Kate White, and Minister Richard Mostyn.
