Speech was thin gruel for Yukon, MP says

Yesterday’s throne speech delivered by Gov. General Michaelle Jean provided Yukon MP Larry Bagnell with little to get excited about.

“It was vague,” Bagnell told the Star during a brief interview from Ottawa on Wednesday afternoon.

“I don’t think those people that are worried about losing their pensions or see their RRSP statements going down are going to feel any comfort in reading this speech.”

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s minority Conservative government used the speech to tout a five-point plan it hopes will insulate Canada from the current global economic woes.

While it warned the country may have to run a deficit, the plan promises to avoid “ongoing unsustainable structural deficits,” job security through training and unspecified financial support for the troubled auto industry, global finance reform, expanded investment and trade and a more efficient government.

Bagnell, re-elected to a fourth term as MP on Oct. 14, said he was concerned the speech failed to acknowledge the Yukon on several key fronts.

“On seven occasions in the throne speech, they mention the provinces and the federal government would work on areas, but they left out the territories,” said Bagnell, who hopes it was just a speech omission and not an omission from further discussions.

The economy, a common securities regulator, credentials for foreign professionals, education, reducing international trade barriers, the proposed cap-and-trade carbon emission reduction scheme and opting out of federal programs were among future issues that Bagnell said throne speech references excluded the territories.

Also missing from the address was the nod to protecting Canada’s northern sovereignty, he said.

“The whole emphasis on northern sovereignty was not mentioned ... all those projects with the exception of one icebreaker were put on hold, so I’m curious to where the government is going on that,” Bagnell said.

“But I want them to keep their promise on an independent northern development office and they did mention it in the throne speech so that was good.”

While Bagnell described the speech as vague, there were other areas the Yukon Liberal MP was pleased about.

“I think so far (the tone in Parliament) has been somewhat more conciliatory,” said Bagnell.

“The prime minister has admitted this time it is a minority government, where the last time he made every motion a confidence motion ... and now he seems to be more open (to debate).”

When Harper had Parliament dissolved in September, paving the way for the federal election, he referred to business in the House as “dysfunctional,” blaming the opposition parties for the need to seek a new mandate from voters.

Unable to capture the majority government he craved, Harper, according to Bagnell, appears to be taking a new tack.

As well, Harper committed to continue its energy-saving home retrofit programs and extend its homelessness partnering programs, both of which are good for the Yukon, said Bagnell.