Photo by Whitehorse Star
Yukon NDP Leader Kate White
Help food bank, White urges rivals
Yukon NDP Leader Kate White ratcheted up the pressure on the leaders of the Liberal party and the Yukon Party this morning.
Yukon NDP Leader Kate White ratcheted up the pressure on the leaders of the Liberal party and the Yukon Party this morning.
During a live-streamed news conference, White challenged Sandy Silver and Currie Dixon to join her in redirecting corporate political campaign donations to the Whitehorse Food Bank.
White said a Yukon NDP government would ban corporate and union donations, and cap donation amounts to prevent undue influence from wealthy individuals.
“Yukoners don’t want big money in their politics,” said White.
“The Liberals and the Yukon Party are always going to put their big corporate donors ahead of everybody else. People want a government that will put them first every time. That’s what I’ll do.”
White said she’s a regular volunteer at the food bank, and made the challenge as a “better way for those dollars to be spent.
“A lot of people are suffering, and this money can help a lot of people. It’s a win-win,” said White.
“We’ve received a number of offers of corporate donations in this election so far, and I will be redirecting those contributions to the food bank,” said White. “I truly hope the other parties will join us – it would be a big help to the community.”
The Yukon NDP only accepts donations from individuals, White noted.
Last year was a record-breaking one for the NDP, which amassed donations from a staggering 507 individuals, more than any party in Yukon history, and more than the Liberals and Yukon Party received in 2019, combined.
“It feels good to know that my campaign is backed by ordinary people, chipping in. And it’s a good indicator of the momentum our campaign has,” said White.
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Comments (27)
Up 2 Down 16
TheHammer on Mar 20, 2021 at 10:06 am
Kate's got what it takes. This is not the land of pin striped suits. She's got the right team. This is the year of female leadership. Time to get down to earth and bring the changes that YP are incapable of those stuffed throwbacks are irrelevant.
Up 14 Down 2
Pikachu on Mar 19, 2021 at 10:10 pm
Couple questions.
1) Why does Kate drive her truck to climate change rallies? Why does Kate tell other people to drive smaller and greener vehicles while she goes to her office job in a truck? Nothing wrong with that, except its complete hypocrisy to be saying one thing and doing another.
2)Has any reporter thought to question the NDP on where the money will come from in order to cover their massive promises? Pharmacare, Dental care, free period products, free birth control, everyone will have a doctor Kate said, they will build a new mental health centre in Whitehorse and the list goes on.
Each of those promises comes with a MASSIVE price tag. So will the NDP be putting in an equally massive tax raise? Or will they just cut everything else in the budget to the bone? Or lastly, will they just plunge us into uncontrolled debt to fund their promises? I know everyone likes to treat the NDP with kid gloves because they don't have a chance to actually form government, but I think the public still deserves to know just how financially disastrous this party would be.
Unicorns and rainbows are nice, but the reality is that they don't pay the bills. It's easy to promise the world when you don't have to consider the financial implications of those promises.
Up 8 Down 1
NeilAlexGeddy on Mar 19, 2021 at 2:25 pm
@Nicko
"Gone are the days of the Yukon being a resource based economy (no matter what the bumper stickers tell you) mining remains 3% of Yukon's GDP."
2019 stats after Minto shutdown and before production at Victoria Gold. You might as well quote 2020 GDP figures for tourism and forget about accounting for the pandemic. Same thought process. Low resolution Nicko .... low resolution.
Up 17 Down 8
Gerry Mander on Mar 18, 2021 at 10:51 pm
Kate really needs to dress more professionally if she wants to be taken more seriously...it may at least distract people from her fantasy land policies.
Up 10 Down 11
BB on Mar 18, 2021 at 3:50 pm
Kate White and the NDP are 100% correct that the Yukon is in dire need of electoral finance reform. McLean's Magazine called us 'The Wild West' because we still allow unlimited political donations from any entity, including corporations, and including corporations and individuals who do not even have head offices / live in the Yukon.
This is unacceptable, but plays out well for the Liberals and Yukon Party, so they continue with this archaic practise which has been ended in almost all other jurisdictions in Canada.
If you cannot vote in an election, you should not be able to influence the outcome of that election by purchasing politicians through donations. Period. It's pretty easy to understand. Kate framed it in a way that would get a headline, and she got her headline. Good for her.
PS - I am not an NDP voter. I vote Liberal. And I am disappointed in them for not taking action on electoral finance reform.
Up 30 Down 5
drum on Mar 17, 2021 at 5:42 pm
I would be shocked to have her represent the Yukon. Another thing - hundreds of Yukoners, especially in Whitehorse, give everyday to the Food Bank. Why should she be asking us?
Up 9 Down 25
Nicko on Mar 17, 2021 at 3:49 pm
The NDP policies always come across as overly utopian, like if you asked a bunch of high school kids to write policy. Great on paper but super expensive to implement.
I like the idea of the NDP holding the balance of power with a Liberal minority government at both the territorial level and Federal level.
As far as the YP and CPC they are only concerned with creating division and hate and we all see how well that is working out in the US.
Gone are the days of the Yukon being a resource based economy (no matter what the bumper stickers tell you) mining remains 3% of Yukon's GDP.
Yukoners are a lot more diverse these days and our economy needs to reflect that. Mining, Oil and gas and other resource based industries need better regulation and should be paying meaningful royalties to the Yukon because once those resources are gone, they are gone forever. Then what.
A diverse economy is the way forward for our future.
Up 29 Down 8
Groucho d'North on Mar 17, 2021 at 2:56 pm
The price of feeding a family continues to rise. Consider what the carbon taxes have done to influence this increase. Everything we see in our stores was brought up the highway in a diesel burning truck. Those added fuel costs get passed to the consumers. So what will the parties do to stop the inflation created by the carbon taxes? This is a very simple question to answer.
Up 40 Down 9
Anie on Mar 17, 2021 at 1:41 pm
What a bunch of baloney. Does she really think this is the main issue on Yukoner's minds? Talk about out of touch!
Up 36 Down 11
Samwise Steele on Mar 17, 2021 at 9:06 am
What a slimy move by White. I respected her for at least having a good heart but this is just low. The Yukon NDP gets next to no corporate donations. Why? Because they only care about identity politics and have no interest in economic growth. She is trying to rig the system so her party has a better chance and passing it off as anti-corruption. This is akin to gerrymandering. Luckily, she has no chance of becoming premier.
We deserve better.
Up 47 Down 9
Gerry Mander on Mar 16, 2021 at 8:20 pm
No platform, just juvenile virtue signaling stunts to appeal to their 13 hippy followers.
People that contribute to political parties also donate to the food bank and other charities in much larger sums. The reason they have money to donate is that we don't live in socialist country!!
Up 20 Down 15
DL on Mar 16, 2021 at 3:18 pm
The price of food everywhere has gone way up because of the lockdowns. If you really want to help, then end the lockdowns now.
There are several examples around the world of countries and states that have opened up, or never did lockdowns in the first place, and are doing much better than others, healthwise and economically: Florida, South Dakota, Sweden, Japan, Belarus, etc.
Up 38 Down 13
Yukon2015 on Mar 16, 2021 at 2:32 pm
Your making the other two parties job a lot easier now. it is now a two horse race.
Up 56 Down 12
CRA Doesn't Agree on Mar 15, 2021 at 11:08 pm
It's a nice idea, except that it is totally unethical.
If a corporation (or individual) donates to a party or an organization, stewardship of those funds means that the money must be used in the manner a donor intended.
You'd think all of those NGO hot-shot candidates of Kate's would've pointed that out.
Up 18 Down 60
Edie rue on Mar 15, 2021 at 10:33 pm
Absolutely love this. She’s playing a much different game than the other two parties. And that’s what this town needs. With the exception of Pauline Frost, I’m so tired of the narrative that the liberals keep trying to sell. I mean, come on, not even considering a rent cap in a town that is completely out of control. With income and housing gaps exploding everywhere. This territory is in big trouble if we don’t slow it down, which means changing governments. Please don’t make it worse by electing the liberals or that other daycare party.
Up 7 Down 22
I'd love to hear your take on violence against on Mar 15, 2021 at 8:40 pm
First Nations and the penalties to the RCMP officers that have done it but are still on the job. It's a Big Country!
Up 15 Down 29
Anna on Mar 15, 2021 at 8:13 pm
I'm not sure what the above commenters are basing their remarks on but the use of the food bank has gone through the roof. If the other parties don't want to donate there, they could redirect the money to any number of organizations rather than using it for advertising. It's reasonable to expect a government to work for us rather than for shareholders of a business- that is like them getting to vote twice!
Up 52 Down 13
Yukon2015 on Mar 15, 2021 at 7:47 pm
What are they thinking, sounds like something a kindergarten class might think up. Maybe they should set up a go fund me account. I was actually leaning towards the NDP but this helps me with that decision. We need a government will real leaders not this type.
Very childish
Up 47 Down 15
Olav on Mar 15, 2021 at 7:27 pm
Unrelated-
Image means a lot or it used to.
What happened to the days when political figures dressed the part.
This girl looks like she just painted the crosswalk on main street.
For that reason- I am out!
Up 21 Down 18
Wilf Carter on Mar 15, 2021 at 7:20 pm
Kate should businesses and rich Yukoners contribute to NDP? How much did the food bank receive in money from Yukoners?
Kate you don't understand the issue of why food banks are needed. If you did, you would understand the real problem why food banks are needed!!!
Here is some insight into the problem:
People don't have jobs to work at in the private sector so they can put money on the table to feed themselves.
Liberals have created much more street people and poor by increasing taxes on everything hauled into Yukon. Our cost of living has gone up in Yukon by over 20%.
To solve any problem you need to understand the cause of the problem right Kate??
A majority of people who use food banks has some health issue and can't fend for themselves.
Poring public Money is not a solution to this problem.
Up 54 Down 7
Well you lost my vote on Mar 15, 2021 at 6:52 pm
I've been for the NDP for years. I gave up on the national stage after Elizabeth May got drunk on stage and had to be pulled away by handlers.
Ms. White, do you really want that to be the image you're presenting at a national level? Unicorn farts and rainbows?
You can't expect to be taken seriously. It's so disrespectful to the institution. I simply won't vote for you because of the attitude that you're showing towards this important position. I don't want my premier to be a walking joke.
Up 50 Down 12
iBrian on Mar 15, 2021 at 6:38 pm
I could never vote for this person. Not even for Volunteer of the year. No idea how money is made. How much Tax Corporations contribute, how much income tax is deducted from the employees of those said businesses and corporations.
Completely clueless to the point she would likely fund a Unicorn search and rescue.
I just can’t have respect for a person who has no self respect. Completely ignorant to reality.
Sorry NDP it’s not all cheery and bubbly feels good.
You're borderline communist. If you work for the people? How is the Yukon going to function? Like a homeless shelter? Like a good bank?
Have you not seen how much corporate has donated to the food bank in the past years?
Sad sad sad
Up 25 Down 2
drum on Mar 15, 2021 at 5:55 pm
I pick up my mail in Shoppers three times a week. I never leave without putting something in the Food Bank Bin.
Up 35 Down 6
are men in suits allowed to donate on Mar 15, 2021 at 5:17 pm
NDP has made it clear they've had their turn.
Up 49 Down 5
JustSayin' on Mar 15, 2021 at 5:07 pm
“It feels good to know that my campaign is backed by ordinary people, chipping in. And it’s a good indicator of the momentum our campaign has,” said White.
Umm, so, the rest of us are not ordinary people? We eat sprinkles and poop out unicorn farts?
I actually consider supporting the NDP because you were honest and wanted to implement real change, but the sexist material you have spewed recently has made it really hard to support you or anyone in your party.
I am a female and a prominent minority and I can not genuinely support anyone who thinks because females haven't hard a turn we should be given a turn and remove all males. BECAUSE I have been discriminated against due to my sex and colour of my skin, I refuse to let anyone, regardless of sex have to go through it. Two wrongs do not make a right. If they did, your party wouldn't exist.
Up 87 Down 27
Yukoner79 on Mar 15, 2021 at 4:36 pm
This is dumb. If I wanted to donate to the food bank, I would donate to the food bank. Corporations donate to political parties because they want them to spend the money on their campaigns so they will potbelly and hopefully win the election, not donate to the food bank. Seriously NDP. This is actually a slap in the face to the corporations who donate their hard-earned money to something they believe in. I'd be pissed in my political party passed on my donation.
Up 79 Down 36
Beaker on Mar 15, 2021 at 4:31 pm
People are suffering...where? The government has given out money hand over fist, weed and alcohol consumption through the roof. The NDP are just, like any other party, political posturing.