Government communicating badly: YP
The official Opposition Yukon Party has received reports that the territorial government will cover parents’ fees for Yukon childcare services for the months of April, May, and June.
The official Opposition Yukon Party has received reports that the territorial government will cover parents’ fees for Yukon childcare services for the months of April, May, and June.
“However, we have also received reports that this same message has not been communicated to all childcare centres, and many parents are unaware,” the party said this morning.
“In fact, we have heard from some parents whose childcare operators have already deposited their monthly cheques for April because the operators have received no such direction from the government.
The Department of Health and Social Services did not respond to the Star’s request for information on the daycare plan before today’s press time.
“A theme that has emerged throughout this pandemic is that the Government of Yukon has not been proactive, clear, or consistent in their messaging to Yukoners,” the Yukon Party said.
“We have heard from a lot of parents and child care workers who are confused and anxious due to this lack of clear public communication from the government regarding childcare services and supports.”
Premier Sandy Silver has been asked directly about this twice by the media – Friday and today – but has refused to answer, the party noted.
“Yukoners are struggling financially, and the government is more obsessed with getting a good photo-op than providing clear and timely information to Yukoners,” said Stacey Hassard, the interim leader of the official Opposition.
“This is completely unacceptable. We are in a crisis, people are wondering how they will get by, and Yukoners deserve better communication from their government than this.”
See letter.
Comments (17)
Up 3 Down 2
Capitan on Apr 11, 2020 at 10:10 pm
@snowman, I am so not a Yukon Party staffer. Never voted for them, I can't imagine I ever will. But I do like Stacey Hassard. I think he expresses himself well and he comes across as more positive than most Conservatives.
Up 1 Down 4
HarvardYaleAndPrincetonMan on Apr 11, 2020 at 3:53 pm
Capitan on Apr 8, 2020 at 10:29 am
"The opposition hasn't been obstructive."
OH ? Constantly being sniveling whiners IS being obstructive.
Up 1 Down 6
Gordon of Riverdale on Apr 11, 2020 at 3:50 pm
Yukoner123 on Apr 9, 2020 at 8:45 am
Larry is working long hours in his office.
Making sure that THE Yukon is up to date on the constantly changing situation
coming out of Ottawa and helping as many locals as he can .
It's a short walk from TIM's - feel free to deliver him a couple of double-doubles.
Up 3 Down 6
Dean LaRue on Apr 11, 2020 at 3:41 pm
Hassard and the rest of The Sore Loser Party certainly aren't doing anything useful.
They should donate their government pay cheques to the food bank until the pandemic is over.
Up 5 Down 7
Snowman on Apr 10, 2020 at 11:53 am
@Capitan - You sound like a Yukon Party staffer. But anyway, why is it the Yukon Party has done nothing but throw eggs from the sidelines? You talk about private appeals from the opposition? Come on, literally everything they do is made for public consumption and usually some kind of stunt. They never take a position on anything which shows a real lack of backbone. For example, what is their position on government shutting down campgrounds for the foreseeable future? What is their position on government telling people not to go into the communities and the back country? Their silence on key issues is deafening.
Up 16 Down 5
Yukoner123 on Apr 9, 2020 at 8:45 am
Here's a question for everyone. Where in the blazes is Larry?
Up 21 Down 26
Capitan on Apr 8, 2020 at 10:29 am
I agree with Stacey Hassard. I think he's been pretty measured in his criticism, really. Sandy Silver isn't answering questions, which for some reason seems to work for him. But I avoid listening to these press conferences because the messages are so mixed and I come away with less information than when it started. And I find the tone aggravating.
The opposition hasn't been obstructive. Hassard is responding to an issue that constituents brought to him. It says it all that it was felt necessary to approach him. If Silver's public attitude is anything to go by, he's not receptive to private appeals from the Opposition. And maybe not constituents, either.
Up 17 Down 25
U. R. Blind on Apr 8, 2020 at 7:20 am
For Fox Lake - Now is the time to put pressure on the Liberal government to be clear, precise and accountable. This is not partisanship - People’s lives and livelihoods are at stake. Dumping on the Opposition Party because you do not like them is unacceptable, an example of partisanship, and moral cowardice - hiding behind the pandemic with all its emotionally laden thrust to attack another is, cowardice! Stacey is right to question - In a time of uncertainty you do not fuel the anxiety by remaining tentative, uncommunicative, silent and vague.
Stop letting your emotions get in the way of your thinking and it will be easier to see how this pandemic is highlighting the fiasco of modern leadership in general... And, this is your/our fault because we tolerate it!
Up 2 Down 0
Henry Wensleydale on Apr 7, 2020 at 5:03 pm
Groucho d'North on Apr 7, 2020 at 12:42 pm
LOL - post of the week - because it says SO much more !
Up 23 Down 12
GE on Apr 7, 2020 at 3:43 pm
Stacey should be embarrassed by his behavior.
What, aside from whining from the side what has he (or Kent) done in recent years.
Up 15 Down 7
Groucho d'North on Apr 7, 2020 at 12:42 pm
Poorly, Government is communicating poorly: YP
Up 37 Down 17
David Griffiths on Apr 7, 2020 at 11:16 am
Mr Hassard, you're response SHOULD have been "how can I help"!
Up 34 Down 20
Ginger Johnson on Apr 7, 2020 at 8:47 am
The country is in a dire situation.
But we get even more pointless sniveling from the remnants of the Pasloski Party.
They again prove that they can't understand what is going on and are not capable of doing anything useful in this situation.
Up 24 Down 19
Yukoner123 on Apr 7, 2020 at 8:35 am
Daycares are one thing, how about schools??? No word about what happening a week from now. Yes we can all read between the lines, but we shouldn't have to. This government lacks the ability to actually lead.
Up 42 Down 19
Idiots on Apr 6, 2020 at 7:17 pm
The opposition needs to bugger off. They’d be doing no better. This is just petty and makes me think less and less of then. Grow up.
Up 40 Down 21
Allan Stanley on Apr 6, 2020 at 7:06 pm
Sanctimonious Stacey once again proves he's a useless politician.
He's done nothing but whine about Silver since Yukoners got rid of the Pasloski government.
Nothing constructive or useful in over 3 years.
Time for him to self-isolate until this disaster is over.
Up 75 Down 35
BnR on Apr 6, 2020 at 3:21 pm
I'm no fan of the present government for a variety of reasons, but c'mon Stacey, now is hardly the time to be partisan and trying to score political points. Nobody's perfect, but I think the Yukon gov has been doing a pretty good job in a very trying time.