Poverty in the Yukon was foremost on the agenda during Monday's question period in the legislature as opposition members quizzed the government on issues ranging from health to housing to social inclusion.

Inadequate housing, income, violence against women and education all affect the health of the poor, said NDP Leader Liz Hanson.

"All of these conditions are obvious in the Yukon and negatively affect health outcomes,” she said. She then asked Health and Social Services Minister Doug Graham about how the social determinants of health fit into the Yukon Government's health policy and budgeting.

In response, Graham, referenced the government's ongoing development of a social inclusion and poverty reduction strategy.

Graham said there had been some "time off” from work on the strategy but it will begin again in the near future.

Premier Darrell Pasloski entered the debate to tout his government's record on the economy and its continued focus on job creation.

"More jobs mean more people are paying taxes, and more people paying taxes allows the government to continue to deliver strong programs and services on behalf of all Yukoners,” he said.

Later on, Jan Stick, the NDP critic for Health and Social Services, countered the premier's point, saying "the benefits of the economic boom have left the poor behind.”

"Food bank numbers are growing; homelessness numbers are increasing. Rents keep going up; availability down. Electrical rates will soon go up. Unemployment in rural Yukon is at unacceptable levels,” Stick said.

"Ignoring the poor simply costs more money with (the Departments of) Health, Justice and Education footing the bill in the long run.”

Stick asked when the social inclusion policy will be released and begin to be implemented. Graham responded the government plans to proceed with the policy as soon as possible.

"The principle thing that we're trying to do or that we're focused on is getting the policy right,” he said.

Both Kate White and Sandy Silver, the NDP and Liberal critics for the Yukon Housing Corp. respectively, raised concerns about the territory's housing crisis.

Silver noted the government's recent setbacks with regards to an "innovative” approach it undertook to bring to market a lot at the Mountainview Drive-Range Road intersection.

The government received two bids for Lot 262 on which to build affordable housing, one for $10,000 and the other for $100, said Silver.

Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Brad Cathers said neither bid met the minimum requirements.

Silver criticized the government's approach to bringing land to market, charging that it is more focused on making money off lot sales than making land available for housing.

"Last December, lots in Grizzly Valley were put out on the market between $124,000 and $200,000,” Silver recalled.

"At these prices, it's no wonder so many failed to sell. More recently, the government tried and failed to sell a Whitehorse Copper lot at $200,000, up from the $101,000 they charged a few years before,” said Silver.

Cathers corrected the Liberal MLA, saying the Whitehorse Copper lot did in fact sell for $200,000 in April.

"This government is taking a number of steps related to land, including reviewing what goes into pricing, how we get there, input costs, et cetera,” said Cathers. Selling lots based on market value has been the approach taken for many years, he added.

Cathers also said steps are being taken to review what went wrong with the Lot 262 tender process.

Silver asked when Yukoners could expect to see new rental units available now that the Lot 262 project, which was expected to produce 30 affordable rental units by 2013, is "dead in the water.”

Cathers responded that it was only part of the government's solution to land availability, adding that Community Services has $35 million in the budget for the development of new lots.

The minister added that there are more than 300 housing units either available or under development at this time.

White questioned the government, once again, on the $13 million of federal funds designated for housing it continues to sit on.

Scott Kent, minister of the Yukon Housing Corporation, said "there were plans identified in our platform last year that we'll continue to spend the dollars identified in the northern housing strategy trust and invest in housing options for all Yukoners.”

White also called for the government to bring forward a comprehensive housing strategy.

Cathers responded that the government has a strategy outlined in its election platform.

"I know the members don't like it because, instead of being in a book with an orange cover that says, ‘NDP Housing Strategy,' it's in a document called ‘Moving Forward Together,' the Yukon Party platform,” said Cathers.

The platform contains half a page devoted to "Housing for Yukoners” and another half-page to "Providing Land to all Yukoners.”

A platform is not a strategy, said White, adding that "we are not moving forward together. We are leaving many Yukoners behind.”

She provided the government with three initiatives proposed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to counteract the territory's housing needs.

First, prevent condo conversion and the associated reduction of rental stock by using tax credits.

Second, stimulate investment through loans for construction of affordable rental units and third, improve rental stock quality and reduce high energy costs with tax credits, she said.

"All these initiatives require government leadership and action. This is not just cheerleading, but bringing forward viable options that both encourage and assist private sector development,” said White.

Cathers did say the government "will be taking further steps to encourage the availability of more rental units in the coming days.”