The Yukon Party would immediately freeze electrical rates imposed by Yukon Energy if elected April 12, party Leader Currie Dixon said Thursday.

Dixon announced the campaign promise during a Zoom press conference.

The freeze would be in effect for two years, and would include the scheduled increase of 11.5 per cent later this year, he said.

Dixon said he knows first-hand how Yukoners have been hit hard by rising costs in recent years, including rising costs for groceries, fuel, housing, rent and electrical rates.

“All these increases have made life unaffordable for Yukon families,” the Yukon Party leader said.

“They have made it more and more challenging to support your families and pay your bills, and this has been made worse by the pandemic.”

Dixon noted this year’s proposed increase is on top of the 11.8 per cent increase in 2019.

“This is unsustainable for Yukoners, and we need to take action to support families and support the territory’s economic recovery.”

Dixon said they are tired of waiting for the Liberal government to address rising costs.

A Yukon Party government would address this; it’s going to take action for change, he said.

“We are going to make life more affordable,” Dixon said. “We have heard loud and clear energy is too expensive. So, the Yukon Party is going to freeze your power rates, period.”

Dixon acknowledged the freeze would only affect the Crown corporation’s rate boosts, as the government does not have any control over rate increases imposed by ATCO Electric Yukon.

Dixon explained that over the course of the two-year freeze, the Yukon Party would work with Yukon Energy to stabilize the corporation’s budget and ensure it’s adequately resourced.

The Yukon Party would provide the Crown corporation with direct funding to recover the revenue shortfall as a result of the rate freeze over the two years, he said.

Dixon said they would launch a review to the rate application process to make applications more predictable and manageable. They would also “depoliticize” the process, he said.

Dixon said they would increase transparency for energy costs so Yukoners would have a better understanding of rate increases.

“The Yukon Party will make life more affordable and predictable for Yukon families and businesses by eliminating the alarming rate swings, which have become common in recent years,” he said.

Dixon said the freeze would be key to leading the territory out of the pandemic and into a prosperous future.

“It would set the Yukon up on the path for our economic recovery,” he said.

Dixon said his party will make sure future rate hikes are brought forward at a reasonable and sustainable level for Yukon families.

The days of 11 and 12 per cent increases would be over, he said.

“A Yukon Party government knows that if we take action for a change, we will make life better for Yukoners.”

A short time later, in response to the Yukon Party announcement, Liberal party spokesperson Sunny Patch issued a statement calling the
suggested approach not sustainable or responsible.

“If we delay rate increases now, we are simply pushing the problem to a later day and compounding the eventual rate increase,” Patch said. “This means higher increases down the road.

“Promising to freeze rate increases now means Yukoners will pay more in the future. It is not a sustainable or responsible way to approach energy costs,” she added.

Patch said the current rate increases Yukoners are experiencing are due to the Yukon Party’s last rate freeze while in government.