As the territorial government inches toward the two-year mark of its mandate later this year, Premier Sandy Silver’s Liberals, along with the opposition Yukon Party and the NDP, will head back to the legislature Monday to begin the fall sitting.

The occasion comes after a summer that, among others things, saw the unveiling of the largest infrastructure project in the Yukon’s history.

It ended off with a public apology about the state of the territory’s government care system for children and youth earlier this month.

“It goes by quick; it really does,” Premier Sandy Silver told the Star Thursday afternoon.

He was reflecting on the government approaching its two-year milestone – after it will present its supplementary budget in the legislature around mid-sitting.

He remained tight-lipped on the exact costs linked to the budget for the territory, but did hint at some factors that may have increased it slightly.

Among them are: wildland fire management, costs to hospitals and some project funding – some of which would be recoverable from Ottawa.

Still, Silver assured, the changes in the budget were not dramatic increases.

“We’re trying to make sure our supplementary budget is exactly what a supplementary budget is supposed to be: of unforeseen expenditures.

“In this case, I think we’ve done a good job in doing that.”

As for what to expect come the fall sitting, he offered insight into what Yukoners could be mulling in the coming months.

“This year, we have two major campaign commitments that are going to be in the legislature,” he said, listing off the new lobbying registry and Access to Information and Protector of Privacy (ATIPP) act as key priorities.

The NDP had been pushing the government on the lobbying registry file for years and as early as last sitting. The Liberals said last May that they intended to work the ATIPP changes into the legislative agenda after receiving feedback in the summer.

Silver acknowledged that the lobbying registry was a long time coming, but hoped that it would place the territory on par with “industry standards right across the modern world.”

The Yukon is currently one of the last jurisdictions in the country to adopt lobbying legislation: it joins a list of Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Prince Edward Island, while P.E.I. is working its way through it.

The premier also noted that Yukoners could get their first look at changes to the Coroners Act and Electrical Districts Boundaries Act soon, while the government mulls the Societies Act as well.

“We keep on hearing from societies that a lot of the paperwork we require takes away from the societies actually doing the work they’re supposed to do.

“So this is going to help with that and make sure the rules and the creation and operations of societies are clear from the get-go.”

Meanwhile, as MLAs continue debating in the legislature, public servants will begin welcoming residents to the new continuing care facility in the city’s Whistle Bend neighbourhood in late October.

While it’s anticipated to open on time, the $146-million Whistle Bend Place (which has been hailed as the biggest infrastructure project in the Yukon’s history) didn’t come without its shortcomings, said NDP MLA Kate White.

“(The Department of Health and Social Service) reached out to their workers,” she recalled Thursday afternoon.

She was referencing when the department began turning inward in July to see if existing staff were willing to offer space to house newcomers who will be working at the new facility.

“I hope it opens in good time and we have it fully staffed, and it’s operational,” White added.

According to figures from the department during that opening, not all of the 250 people it projected hiring had been brought on board: majority (180) had, with about 140 of those being local hires.

White also took aim at Pauline Frost, who holds three portfolios: Environment, HSS and the Yukon Housing Corp., and her handling of the group homes allegations – which saw her deliver an apology for, in part, misinformation relayed to HSS officials.

“I am hopeful because they have really good people within the public service,” White said of the on-the-ground staff working within the department and group homes.

“But I am not hopeful with the minister’s response.”

The Takhini-Kopper King MLA likened the timing of the apology (which she called “late and slow-coming”) about group homes and the opening of the care centre to “damage control.”

White was referring to the government holding the grand opening of the care centre about a week after it publicly apologized to youth for an “institution in crisis” that led to mistreatment of youth in group homes.

The NDP MLA added she expects the government to be questioned on the ongoing reviews and actions the department has committed to come October, especially as the Child and Youth Advocate Office continues to prepare ahead of the March 2019 expected release date for its systemic review.

Silver weighed in on the apology, likening it to the government “finding out there’s a problem, admitting a mistake ... and turning the page.

“I don’t know if that’s considered overshadowing, I think that’s leadership,” he said, adding he appreciates that it did take patience and time.

He shrugged off the remark about damage control, chalking it up to opposition criticism.

“We’re not going to be political about timing – when we can say something, we’re going to say something.

“We’re not going to change the opening dates of a continuing care facility for any political decision,” he added matter-of-factly.

The premier then praised Frost for “having the courage” to deliver the apology – much the same way Highways and Public Works Minister Richard Mostyn called a recent procurement decision by the department a “mistake” last week.

“Sometimes the mags get broken,” Silver sighed. “We saw that with the SOA contract.”

That deal saw HPW award a nearly $1-million contract to an N.W.T. firm, but the department reverted its stance last week, announcing it will instead award the work to a local firm in a more competitive bidding process.

Mostyn, who serves double duty as the minister responsible for the Public Service Commission, will now turn his attention to presenting and fielding questions about the ATIPP legislation in the assembly this sitting.

White added the NDP may may still ask about the contract related to the francophone high school, noting that “fairness for contractors” should be a key consideration.

The Yukon Party was also critical of the SOA contract. Interim leader Stacey Hassard said it was symbolic of the government’s lack of communication with its public servants.

“We’re two years into the Liberal mandate, and it doesn’t appear they are organized,” he told the Star Thursday afternoon.

He listed the territory’s hunting permit system, which is currently under an audit after a “regrettable error” in data and the cancellation of some permits within days of the August hunting season beginning, as a topic the party will bring up in the sitting.

An Environment department spokesperson, meanwhile, confirmed this morning that an announcement on the audit, including next steps and the group retained to carry it out, is expected very soon.

Another topic with more of a looming deadline is the federal government-imposed carbon tax and legalization of marijuana.

“That’s one we’ve been hammering on for a couple of years and it’s coming closer,” Hassard said of the early 2019 anticipated date by which the carbon tax will take effect for jurisdictions.

While the summer saw some provinces express hesitation about the tax, the Yukon remained committed, with the premier announcing in late June that it would hit two fewer industries thanks to negotiations with Ottawa.

Namely, the placer mining and aviation industries would see reduced impacts, with the former receiving rebates and the latter being exempt – something the premier called “a big accomplishment.

“We successfully lobbied the (federal) government for regional aviation exemptions, which is a big deal as well – and there’s more to come.”

That was in line with what he told reporters in June, noting that he hoped Ottawa would also consider the quartz mining industry.

Silver had previously committed to returning rebates to Yukon households and businesses, even though the logistics of that are still unknown.

The government has maintained the mechanism will not be a revenue generator for the Yukon, with rebate revenue already committed to being returned to municipal and First Nations governments in May.

With 2019 just three months away, Hassard said there was a sense of urgency with the mechanism being introduced, especially to provide certainty.

“It’s coming up quite rapidly, and we’ve got very little in terms of how it’s going to work,” he said.

For his part, the premier assured that the territory will be ready to roll out the tax once given the green light from Ottawa – with whom he said “the conversations are daily.”

As for other upcoming deadlines: Yukoners will be able to purchase marijuana products at the territory’s temporary retail outlet at 120B Industrial Rd. come Oct. 17, with the government noting the online store will also be up and running by then (see p. 4). Maintaining that it is a temporary store; it is still unclear until exactly when that will be.

Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Ranj Pillai will be busy preparing for the unveiling of the territory’s independent power production (IPP) policy toward the end of the calendar year as well.

Meanwhile, all government bills are to be given first reading by Oct. 9. Otherwise, the introduction of the bill would need the unanimous consent of all MLAs to do so at a later date.

The sitting is expected to wrap up its maximum 30-day sitting by Nov. 22, taking into account holidays.