The campaign of Barbara Dunlop, the territory’s Conservative candidate in Monday’s election, has called on Liberal hopeful Brendan Hanley to explain why he is “misleading Yukoners by making promises that are not included in the Liberal Party of Canada platform.”

But Hanley counters that the Conservatives haven’t done their homework on the issue.

“The Conservative Party of Canada Recovery Plan is the only plan that identifies ways to improve affordability for all Yukoners and northerners,” Dunlop said in a statement Monday.

“A Conservative government has committed to doubling the Northern Residents Deduction for every single Yukon resident, which provides a significant tax deduction for northerners.”

A Conservative government would double a northern resident’s current $11 daily deduction to $22, the party has said.

Dunlop said she has heard from many Yukoners that they were “surprised to hear Hanley’s new last-minute promise to expand the Northern Travel Allowance to Yukoners who do not currently receive it.

“Searching the Liberal platform, there is no such promise in the document at all,” Dunlop said.

“The Liberals have claimed that their platform is fully costed, which raises questions about these last-minute promises and whether or not the Liberals are actually committed to them.”

The Liberals’ “desperate campaign” has started promising new items outside their financial framework and costing,” Dunlop said.

“This is another example of the reckless spending and a lack of planning that our country can no longer afford.

“A Conservative government will get this under control,” she vowed. “Our plan will improve affordability and balance the budget over the next decade.”

Hanley told the Star Tuesday he is “disappointed by Conservative claims, and surprised by the lack of due diligence, in seeking the facts regarding the Northern Residents Deduction.

“The fact is that in Budget 2021, due in part to advocacy from Liberal MP Larry Bagnell, the federal Liberal government expanded the Northern Residents Deduction to allow residents without employer-provided travel benefits to claim up to $1,200 for eligible travel expenses, starting in 2021,” Hanley noted.

“In order to address cost of living concerns, the federal Liberal government increased the Northern Residents’ Deduction by 33 per cent in Budget 2016.”

Most budget measures are passed through a series of Budget Implementation Acts, the first of which passed earlier this summer, Hanley pointed out.

“This means that the travel benefit will be available to all northerners once the next budget legislation passes.

“The 2021 change is expected to cost the federal government $125 million over five years,” Hanley added.

“This is an existing, fully-costed commitment, already built into the Government of Canada’s budget framework.

“However, under a Conservative government, there is no guarantee of this benefit being implemented,” Hanley said.