Photo by Whitehorse Star
Leader Currie Dixon
Deal has ‘shocked’ Dixon
The Yukon Party made it clear Thursday afternoon it’s fuming over the prospect of dealing with a Liberal government propped up by the NDP.
The Yukon Party made it clear Thursday afternoon it’s fuming over the prospect of dealing with a Liberal government propped up by the NDP.
Leader Currie Dixon railed against the agreement during a telephone news conference.
It required fewer than 30 seconds for Dixon to denounce the deal the other two parties announced Wednesday as a “left-wing coalition.”
That was a phrase he repeated throughout the news conference.
“This is a huge mistake for (Premier) Sandy Silver,” Dixon thundered. “And a surprising success for the NDP.”
Dixon repeatedly said the agreement showed Silver is “desperately trying to hold on to power.”
“It’s a sweeping agreement. Frankly, it shocked me.”
He acknowledged he and his party had spoken with the NDP, likely looking to strike a similar agreement, but those talks failed.
“We were unwilling to abandon our principles,” Dixon said. “We decided we were too far apart.”
He said the Liberals had simply adopted the NDP agenda in exchange for forming a government.
That’s the same un-costed agenda the Liberals were savagely criticizing during the election campaign, Dixon said. Now they’ve welcomed it with enthusiasm, he added.
“This is the most left-wing agenda I’ve seen in my lifetime,” Dixon railed. “I’m shocked Sandy Silver signed this agreement.”
He said the length of the pact troubled him, as well as the prospect of it being open-ended – leaving the possibility of an extension.
While he needed more time to digest the agreement, Dixon said, some items immediately jumped out at him.
He told reporters there is no plan to get out of debt, and no plan to assist in re-opening the economy and supporting businesses suffering in the pandemic.
“It shows Sandy Silver is desperate to stay in power,” Dixon said again. “There’s nothing costed out. The Liberals have sold the farm, and have dramatically veered to the left.”
Dixon reiterated the party had attended a brief meeting with Silver this week that led to nothing. Nor had the party reached out to the Liberals to try to strike any kind of an agreement.
Asked what he would have done differently were he in Silver’s place, Dixon merely said he “would have moved faster.”
Dixon said he was looking forward to the legislature reconvening so he and the Yukon Party could “get back to work.
“The Liberals have signed in desperation,” he told reporters again as the news conference concluded.
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Comments (35)
Up 3 Down 3
Groucho d'North on May 6, 2021 at 10:10 am
It's a sad state of affairs when the electorate will accept this level of corruption, just to beat their chests about gaining power following a squeaker of an election. Play the vote percentage math game any way you choose. We are becoming more like the USA where two political forces are even in their support so choices are made not by abilities and platform commitments but by secret deals designed to benefit the politicians rather than the people they take an oath to serve. And by the way, it looks like the Liberals have recruited numerous more supporters to vote on these comments judging by the recent increase in participation. I wonder how many are votes from outside the Yukon? Trudeau has a whole army of staff with jobs to skew public perception just like this.
Up 29 Down 10
BnR on May 3, 2021 at 2:14 pm
Party politics? How about petty Politics.
Currie, he's just not ready.
Up 16 Down 17
Allan Stanley on May 3, 2021 at 11:37 am
How long until Brad Cathers breaks away and forms his own Party ?
"The Log Cabin Party" has a certain panache.
Up 20 Down 15
drum on May 2, 2021 at 11:54 pm
There ideas are so different but they will do anything to keep getting their pay cheque every two weeks and protect their wonderful pensions. They do not care about the people of the Yukon - only a job to them.
Up 33 Down 11
Cold gin on May 2, 2021 at 5:41 pm
Many Currie was super spicy at that presser wasn’t he?
He got completely outplayed again, seems to be a pattern in his political career. Maybe he should spend a decade or two out here in the ‘real world’ in the private sector and learn about actually working for a living. At least his predecessors had real jobs before getting into politics.
I think he is watching to much Fox And Rebel news; that sh*t doesn’t fly here. Try all you want to divide people but you saw the result first hand the very people you tried to split joined forces against you and you didn’t even see it coming.
Up 32 Down 12
MockShock on May 2, 2021 at 12:51 pm
This coalition, alliance or friendship is meant to keep the status quo and keep the Yukon Party out.
There is a clear message regardless of who the leader is; Curly, Larry or Moe!
When 60% of the electorate don’t vote for you isn’t it time to change? Unless of course, you can't or won’t change.
Just in case you don’t get it, the Liberals and NDP are in!!!
Up 45 Down 31
TwoThirdsAren’t on May 2, 2021 at 12:39 pm
Seems like the CurrieClickers are wonder why two thirds of the population aren’t shocked.
They didn’t vote for you Frat Boy. They didn’t vote for Brad Billions or Wade Payout.
The Puppet Pundits get more press than Little Boy Blunder.
Is he going to quit again and then come back to an empty room?
Up 28 Down 38
Oya on May 2, 2021 at 12:34 pm
@ Lost in the Yukon - SS will keep this agreement in place JUST LONG ENOUGH for the pensions to kick in for those that don't already have them (like Silver, Pillai, McPhee, N.Clark, Harper, McLean - did I forget anyone?). This is a power grab for personal gain; this is not about what is best for the people. Once the pensions are secured, Kate White will be tossed to the sidelines. I doubt the LIBS will even want to serve another term after securing those big fat pensions.
Anyone who voted Liberal should feel absolutely betrayed by Silver's complete abandonment of the platform he ran on; the platform YOU voted for. Instead, he chose to abandon his own principles in favour of the money/power grab. Disgusting, in my humble opinion. Didn't even wait to be sworn in to make all his election promises a farce.
I voted in the election and I can't for the life of me recall seeing a Lib/NDP gov listed on the ballot. No one ran on such a joint venture; no one voted for "this". Just look what the announcements are already doing on the landlord/tenant issue. What a mess.
The Liberals have lost ALL my respect and Kate White's policies, now almost the official government, will run this territory into the ground.
Up 36 Down 14
CurrieClickers on May 1, 2021 at 9:42 pm
Ah yes...the wee little whimper in the corner of the room. I wonder if he is in or out every four years. What is shocking is how easily he is shocked ha!
The false prophet, the back door dealers, and the clickers...bye.
Up 26 Down 12
CurrieClickers on May 1, 2021 at 8:56 pm
Ah yes...the wee little whimper in the corner of the room. I wonder if he is in or out every four years. What is shocking is how easily he is shocked ha!
The false prophet, the back door dealers, and the clickers...bye. You didn’t plan on this did ya? What do they say about “the enemy of my enemy is my friend?”
Laughing and then laughing more...
Up 42 Down 14
Chris Fox on May 1, 2021 at 3:00 pm
54% of YP members voted for someone else on the first ballot of their recent
leadership contest.
Now I know why.
Up 21 Down 17
theHammer on May 1, 2021 at 1:01 pm
Motive Unclear@ Money grows on trees, and there's going to be enough weed to make us the export capital of the world. With specially engineered extreme potency hybrids called 'Yukon Bonanza' and 'Klondike Gold.' This, our beloved Yukon will become the new Lotus Land. We will invite Buddhists to build monasteries and begin the cosmic task of purifying the negative poisonous minds of the locals.
Up 30 Down 27
motive unclear on May 1, 2021 at 11:20 am
"may you live in interesting times", the ancient Chinese curse is upon us all. What we are experiencing is a fundamental shift from a work with your hands economy to a shelter in place economy. We've hit the watershed moment with the vast majority depending on the "government" for it's daily bread, here in the Yukon.
The original settlers would rub their eyes in disbelief at what is happening. The tortured productive class is about to stick it's hands in it's pockets and simply walk away from y'all. Enjoy eating money! Or perhaps your wunnerful new pinko "government" will be thoughtful enough to force enough of you to work to the fields to weed the potato crop you'll be dependent on if this fool's paradise continues much longer.
Up 59 Down 28
Bob Folster on May 1, 2021 at 11:09 am
PFFFFT !
Look at the sore loser sniveling about the valid and predictable results of a contest that he chose to enter .
Up 47 Down 27
unReal on May 1, 2021 at 9:56 am
You are either for me or you are against me is Currie's dictum.
Sound familiar?
Welcome to Currie's Con Cult!
Up 8 Down 31
Wilf Carter on May 1, 2021 at 9:43 am
Sandy stated he will work for all Yukoners and with all parties because good ideas come from both sides. Folks governments don't work on good ideas but fundamental service like health, food, housing, safety, education, infrastructure, strong economy in private sector jobs so we can create wealth and revenues for governments.
Up 19 Down 32
Nathan Living on Apr 30, 2021 at 9:00 pm
Currie should be the speaker in my opinion.
Up 27 Down 28
Realistic on Apr 30, 2021 at 7:51 pm
Hey is anyone looking into the eligible for pension dates of the Liberal MLA’s and the end date of this agreement? Coincidence? Might explain why liberals adopted NDP platform? Is it legal? For sure it's a breech of ethics.
Up 22 Down 26
NeilAlexGeddy on Apr 30, 2021 at 7:35 pm
It is going to be 2 years of drawn out studies with no commitment made. By the time the agreement is up, the economy will be on the rebound from Covid and Silver will be in a better position when/if a non confidence vote happens. He is stringing Kate White along, just like he strung us all along with his promise of a full carbon tax rebate. Currie just needs to keep stirring the pot and eventually Silver will be locking himself up in his Dawson office and boarding up the windows. Eventually he will have to tell the placer miners that he is only a pretend Marxist for two years.
Up 22 Down 20
Lost In the Yukon on Apr 30, 2021 at 6:56 pm
If anyone really believes Slippery Sandy Silver will honour this “deal” is seriously out of touch with reality ... he will drag this out long enough in the hopes that political winds change at which point he’ll call an election. The direct fall out will be the complete demise of the NDP and their “leader”
Up 39 Down 23
Woodcutter on Apr 30, 2021 at 6:20 pm
Lol - boy wonder is all surprised? It's a natural fit for the Liberals and NDP to work again if not merge, then we wouldn't have to suffer the party of climate change deniers, xenophobic, sexist, panderers to the elite, restrictors of voting rights .
I suppose Dixon had to say something to pander to the collection of deplorables, however to the 60% of the voters he appears to be as out of touch.
Good job boy wonder, now you can go back to work, as if you know what work is.
Up 13 Down 37
drum on Apr 30, 2021 at 6:15 pm
Disgusting that the NDP joined the Liberals.
Up 21 Down 33
Joe on Apr 30, 2021 at 6:14 pm
Keep up the good work Currie! 40+% of Yukoners support you. Unlike liberal voters who were told they were going center with fiscal responsibility leaning right .... big lie, now watching their leader and party go way left and adopt the policies for which the least amount of Yukon voters chose. We assume to secure public pensions. Ya man that’s representing your constituents well - haha.
Up 27 Down 27
Thanks for voicing it Currie on Apr 30, 2021 at 5:59 pm
Basically what's happened is this:
"Alright class, we have two students who received b+'s and one that received a C"
"If I combine that B+ with my C do we suddenly get an A for all of us except the other B+ group?"
"Yes!"
If that sounds ridiculous then maybe you should consider what has happened. We've just undone the will of the people by allowing two parties to make a decision with NO public input and no oversight from a judiciary. This isn't what NDP voted for, this isn't what Liberals voted for, and this isn't what Conservatives voted for.
I find the irony funny. Make fun of Dixon for the Peel issue. "We had a panel with recommendations that were completely ignored and the Conservatives lost in court."
Now the same thing is happening. We had an election that said "We don't want Liberals." But that voice is silenced. Even the commentators below are trying to undermine the simple fact that this isn't what people voted for. This was never a decision or offered as a possibility in either platform prior to the vote. It's called a bait and switch. It's slimy, low brow, and an open disregard for the democratic electoral process.
No one voted for this. Prove me wrong.
Up 20 Down 15
bonanzajoe on Apr 30, 2021 at 5:57 pm
ProScienceGreenie: Still can't get Donald Trump out of your craw eh" I feel sorry for you. You may need to see a Shrink.
Up 19 Down 4
TheHammer on Apr 30, 2021 at 5:42 pm
When a political leader feeds the monster of national polarizing psychoses with polarizing rhetoric, the monster gets bigger and will eventually take possession of the unconscious polarized masses and fling them into war and conflict.
Up 12 Down 19
MikeA on Apr 30, 2021 at 5:13 pm
@mikeC....wrong side of climate change, etc...so that trumps all the scandals, the lack of transparency, the filibusters, zero ethics, bills to reduce freedom of speech, alienate the west, two Michaels, military fiasco....on and on and on...I bet in 2023 the conservatives take this territory because left wing wackos like yourself cannot see the forest for the trees....colonial proverb..”once you go left you go deaf”!
Up 61 Down 23
Dabe on Apr 30, 2021 at 4:57 pm
Hey pro science greenie, is there anyone you disagree with politically who you don’t denigrate or hate on in your angry left wing rantings?
Up 80 Down 93
MikeC on Apr 30, 2021 at 4:45 pm
Hey Currie..guess what? Nobody wants a Conservative party in power anymore because you have no new ideas on anything policy related. Just like the federal conservatives nobody will elect your dinosaur party that is on the wrong side of issues like climate change, Covid, gun laws, etc.
Kenney and Ford have butchered their provinces Covid response in their provinces and more than likely aren’t getting re-elected in their next provincial elections. And although Trudeau has been mired in scandal after scandal in Ottawa he still gets getting reflected. So again until your party modernizes they’re way of thinking to be slightly more progressive..you ain’t forming a majority or minority government in the near future. Fact!
Up 73 Down 58
Cynical Currie on Apr 30, 2021 at 4:36 pm
Why does the leader of the official opposition refer to this government as a "coalition" government? The answer is that he is trying desperately to debase the legitimacy of the newly elected government and erode the public's confidence in said government.
It turns out that no matter how much Currie complains and is "shocked" by the concept of a coalition government, it nevertheless remains a legitimate democratic option, one that represents a far larger majority of the population than if the government were to be formed by a mere component of the coalition.
And this is entirely beside the point: our current government isn't even a coalition! (A coalition government's Cabinet comprises members of all parties in the coalition. This is not the case for the Yukon government.) What's sad and disappointing is Currie's cynical theatrics. Currie isn't stupid: he knows this isn't actually a coalition government. What does that mean? It means he's playing you because he thinks he's smarter than you. He's no dummy, nor are you. Don't let him get away with telling you that.
Up 74 Down 73
Ginger Johnson on Apr 30, 2021 at 3:34 pm
"Rape the Peel" Dixon was the whining brat of the last Pasloski government.
Nothing seems to have changed.
He needs to ask himself why 61% of Yukoners weren't interested in another round of Darryl Drugstore politics.
Up 70 Down 70
ProScience Greenie on Apr 30, 2021 at 3:31 pm
No Currie, progressive conservatives we can work with. It is the reformers, conspiracy theorists, neo-fascists, racists and other assorted trumpers and deplorables that make up 30% of your voters that is your problem. The majority of Yukon voters have rejected that bad craziness.
Up 64 Down 68
Duane Gastant' Aucoin on Apr 30, 2021 at 3:31 pm
The Liberals & the NDP had a combined vote of 60%.
Sounds a lot more democratic that they get to form government through an agreement rather than the Yukon Party who got the support of 40% of Yukon voters.
I guess this was like an episode of the Yukon NDP Bachelorette...Dixon is just mad that he wasn't chosen & Sandy got the rose apparently?!
Up 61 Down 41
JSM on Apr 30, 2021 at 3:28 pm
I am surprised that Currie is shocked by this, but that may be political theatrics. A power hungry Slippery Sandy Silver selling his soul and Ideals to form a majority government is probably the least shocking thing I've heard. Lieberals and their supporters are not people of dignity or strict morals. Gone are the left wing politicians who actually believe in what they say. A severe fall in grace.
Up 83 Down 52
Peter on Apr 30, 2021 at 3:18 pm
Yukon Liberals who voted. You just got sold out by your leader! You Yukon Liberals might as well be flying the orange banner! My condolences! We all should do 1 minute of a silent prayer for Yukon Liberals.