Fighting forest fires and staving off flood damage cost the Yukon government more money than was envisioned last spring.

The government tabled its latest spending plans at the beginning of the legislature’s fall sitting on Thursday afternoon.

They included increases of $26.2 million in operations and maintenance spending but no changes in capital funding.

The 2022-23 surplus is now forecast at $33 million, down from the March forecast of $39.5 million.

The projected year-end net debt of $214 million is up from the March projection of $207.5 million.

(Last March 3, Premier Sandy Silver tabled a $1.97-billion budget for the current fiscal year.)

Approximately $20.2 million of the new spending unveiled Thursday is allocated to wildfire and flooding mitigation.

“We saw unprecedented fire activity with major activity in every single region in the Yukon,” stated Silver.

“We experienced serious flooding as well in some communities. We managed to keep Yukoners protected and safe, which is not easy to do, and it does come with a cost.”

Also included is $3.2 million in electricity rebates for Yukoners in the form of three $50 payments toward all residential and commercial electrical bills for the next three months. That totals six months of rebates for the year.

Silver was asked if he regrets not receiving an exemption for home heating fuel from the federal carbon tax.

“You take a look at the rebates we do have – I’m really interested in making sure we keep those,” he said.

“I’m really interested in making sure First Nations governments, municipalities get their money back. That businesses get their money back.

“That’s really extremely important in how we do our system here. And if I compare the systems in Canada, I think that the rebates that are offered here in Yukon, they’re worth fighting for.”

The supplementary budget represents an increase of 1.8 per cent over the main estimates operations and maintenance spending. That’s offset by $1.5 million in recoverable funding from the federal government and third parties.

There is $18.2 million in new revenue, including a $2.2 million increase in the Canada Health Transfer, $15 million as part of the federal Affordable Housing in the North agreement and $1 million as income from land sale agreements.

As well, the 2022-23 Interim Economic and Fiscal Update was released. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for the last two years was 9.1 per cent, with a forecast growth of 4.8 per cent in 2022 – the best in the country, according to YG.

Meanwhile, Statistics Canada reported an unemployment rate of 1.7 per cent, which matches the all-time low set in April 2018.

Silver was asked why his government refuses to cut the territorial fuel tax, as the Yukon Party has long suggested.

“Outside of Alberta cutting it completely, we have the lowest fuel tax rate in Canada … the NDP came up with some items as well,” he said.

“We’ll get the folks in Finance to do some cost-accounting of that as well.”

Silver added later, “It’s more complicated than just staying ‘Well, why can’t you just do what the Yukon Party wants you to do?’ Take a look at all the factors that affect the expense of living in the North. Take a look at climate change.

“Are we really wanting to do action on climate change or not?”

Silver also has some concerns about the Yukon Party’s stance on carbon tax as well.

“You heard the Yukon Party today, talking about, in the legislative assembly, ‘We don’t support a carbon tax.’

“They campaigned on a carbon tax (in 2021). So when you take a look as to the rationale of why we make our decisions: evidence-based decision making.

“When you take a look at the Yukon Party, I really don’t know – who’s the leader there, or what the party stands for.”

The opposition parties blocked him from delivering a ministerial statement on inflationary measures, he noted.

“I think that’s petty. I really do,” he said.

“We didn’t change anything up here, but the opposition decided that Yukoners don’t want to hear on the first day what we’re planning for inflation.”

“We put a lot of work in all departments into how we make lives more affordable for Yukoners and that’s no difference if we’re looking at extenuating circumstances of international conflict and inflation or the pandemic.

“I believe, looking at our track record over the last six years, I’ll stand that up over the previous five years any day.”

Silver said the government will table more bills in the days to come. Those will include a Clean Energy Act, and new Animal Protection and Control legislation that will strengthen enforcement and standards of care for animals.