Wednesday's 3 1/2-hour debate on the Yukon's housing crisis just emphasizes the Yukon Party's refusal to work collaboratively, opposition parties charge.

Kate White, the NDP MLA for Takhini-Kopper King, put a motion forward for debate that asked for all parties to work together on a comprehensive housing strategy.

After White introduced the motion, deputy premier Elaine Taylor talked for over 2 1/2 hours in what looked like an attempt to filibuster (needlessly draw out) the debate.

Scott Kent, the minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corp., then changed the wording of the motion from "develop a” to "implement its” housing strategy.

An emotional White told the house she was disappointed with the outcome of the debate.

"I wanted us to be bold, and I wanted us to be innovative,” she said.

"I thought that we could work together toward that plan.”

All Yukon Party members voted to pass the motion and all opposition members opposed it.

But according to both the NDP and Liberals, the Yukon Party doesn't have a housing strategy.

"What housing strategy?” Sandy Silver, the Liberal MLA for Klondike, told the Star this morning.

He said he's already tired of the bickering and arguing in the house.

"This day (opposition members' business) in the government's mind is not to deal with the issues,” he continued. "They will deal with it on their own.”

Although Silver was briefed before yesterday's sitting to "not get upset when nothing happens,” White told the Star this morning that she felt "shattered”.

White and the NDP were hoping the motion would allow for all parties to sit down and develop a strategy that identifies targets, timelines and performance measures and is inclusive of all levels of government, including the city, First Nations and Canada.

"The Yukon Party is insinuating they do have a housing strategy, but no one has seen it,” she said. "I want to see their housing strategy, and I want to see it in black and white.”

The first-term MLA said she was surprised with how yesterday's debate turned out. This was the first time the government really had the opportunity to work collaboratively, and the NDP was turned down, she said.

The MLA seemed to be the most frustrated with the fact that Kent changed the motion.

"I never knew that two words could make such a big difference.”

White pointed out that it's one thing to say you're putting money toward the Kaushee's Place women's shelter and a youth shelter, and it's another to actually start building.

"They (the government) are not doing anything,” White said.

It's no secret that the territory's housing crisis was created under the Yukon Party government's watch, party leader Liz Hanson said in a press release this morning.

"The government's changes to this motion are very telling,” she said. "They'd rather play political games than get results, and Yukoners deserve better.

"On one hand, they attempt to take credit for the world commodity prices that prompted Yukon's economic boom. On the other hand, they refuse to take responsibility for their failure to keep up with the housing pressures resulting from that boom.”

Today is the last day of the abbreviated fall sitting. Members will vote on the supplementary budget and convene for a longer period in the spring.

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