The Yukon government has rejected a motion introduced by the Yukon Party aimed at sending a message to the federal government that it should provide residents in all three territories access to any vaccines at a more-than-per-capita basis.

For the last week, the Yukon Party has been pressing the Liberal government on the question of vaccines

Representatives have been particularly concerned the territory might only receive as few as 3,300 doses of any of the proposed vaccines to start with. That’s not enough to treat essential workers and our most vulnerable people, the party has stated repeatedly.

The motion was introduced on an urgent emergency basis, and would have required all-party approval to be added to the order of business. The Liberal representatives refused to even allow the motion to be introduced for debate.

Afterward, Premier Sandy Silver criticized the opposition parties for the second time in a week.

“We have no interest in politicizing a vaccine,” he said.

“We have a Yukon Party that spent six weeks in filibusters. Last week, they had an opportunity to bring forth motions, and they chose to bring a motion on federal liquor taxes.

“Then they demand they want to be in on a conversation about vaccines. They’re a little bit late to the party,” Silver added.

We just saw the Yukon Party say as far as recommendations go, we’re going to pick and choose between what we like and what we don’t like. We’re not going to politicize the chief medical officer of health’s recommendations and we will not politicize the vaccine.”

The premier did agree the territories deserve special consideration when it comes to the vaccines.

Silver said it wouldn’t have made a difference if the motion had been brought forward by the NDP instead of the Yukon Party.

“We’re not interested in debating right now a motion on vaccines by the opposition. That includes both parties,” he said.

He told a media scrum his decision not to allow the motion to even be introduced wasn’t political in its own right, nor was it sparked by partisanship.

“I don’t think so,” Silver said. “I just don’t think so. If we thought they had a serious intent here to work with us, that might be a different situation.

“You just have to watch what the federal Tories are doing. It’s the same playbook. This is Currie O’Toole. It’s the same thing that’s playing out....”

Silver continued to refuse to provide any details on a vaccination plan.

“We get criticized when we don’t provide information on everything that hasn’t even been unpacked yet, and we get criticized if we do. I think we’ve struck a very good balance to give out information on a timely basis. We will have details very, very soon.”

He said he doesn’t have concerns about the pending distribution.

“I don’t have concerns right now on how the nation is working together to get this vaccine out.”

Silver said he is concerned that Yukon residents might abandon the conventional efforts to combat the virus if there was a specific date for the vaccinations to begin.

Seconds later, under media questioning, he said that had nothing to do with the lack of information on a vaccine distribution being provided by the government.

“We’re going to stop at the safe six. As of today, we need Yukoners to maintain physical distancing. We need you to keep on doing what you’ve been doing. We need vigilance right now. That’s what keeps me up at night.”

Silver then emphatically stated that’s not why he won’t announce the government plans.

“No,” he said. “Until people get vaccinated, I want people to be vigilant.”

Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon said he was bewildered by the government’s refusal to even debate Thursday’s motion. He said he didn’t want to think it was due to partisan reasons.

“You’d have to ask the premier about that,” Dixon said.

NDP Leader Kate White was also at a loss to understand the Liberals’ rationale.

“We would have supported the motion, if given a chance,” she said.

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