"The NDP is a party of small business,” leader Liz Hanson said this morning.

Hanson and eight other NDP election candidates gathered at Well-Read Books on Fourth Avenue this morning to announce their small business platform.

It includes the party's commitment not to raise taxes on small businesses in the territory and to improve cellular and Internet connectivity.

"There would be no tax increases for small businesses under a Yukon NDP government,” Hanson promised.

" Small businesses are at the heart of our economy, and New Democrats want them to remain successful and competitive.

"Small businesses employ thousands of people throughout Yukon and they are vital contributors to industry sectors such as mining, tourism and culture. As your next premier, I will work with the chambers of commerce and small business owners to provide greater support to business enterprises.”

The leader announced that within its first year of office, an NDP government would invest $1 million in small business and economic diversification programs.

It would also develop a new Access Yukon program to identify sources of venture capital for small business, targeting new training to increase skills and productivity and work to reduce "red tape” for Yukon small businesses, said the leader.

"What I hear from small business owners is that it is difficult with the current government not focusing on real support for small businesses attempting to get started, she said.

"There has been a major focus on big industry and we need to realize that job generation also comes from small businesses; they are the ones in our communities.”

Improving Internet and cellular connection in the Yukon would also be a key priority for the NDP.

The party pledged today to invest $1.5 million to improve Internet connectivity within its first year of taking office.

It would also ensure affordable and reliable communications technology for all Yukon communities through closer co-operation with providers such as Bell Canada and Northwestel Inc., said Hanson.

"Yukoners want and need to be connected to the world. This is particularly important for small business owners who are dependent on card billing and purchasing via the Internet.

"Improved electronic connectivity will benefit businesses and individuals alike, and will allow us to better participate in an increasingly globalized society,” said Hanson.

The party also pledged to make it easier for small businesses to navigate the necessary regulatory paperwork for things like workers' compensation and health and safety.

The candidates present this morning were selected for their experience in small business, and commented on some of the administration challenges they feel face the territory's small business community.

"I think all business owners are very much concerned with their safety and with their employees, but required health and safety courses can take a lot of time for people trying to run a business,” said Riverdale South candidate Jan Stick, the book store's owner.

"Though most small business owners want to comply with the requirements, it is not made easy for us.”

"The current government are looking at mega-projects, things like manufacturing and the mining industry,” said Whitehorse West candidate Louis Gagnon, a local

restaurateur.

"But there are no advocates for small business. If you are in the mining industry, the territory will actually give you an advocate to help you navigate through the development process. They won't give me, say, $10,000, $15,000 to help me make money, but they will give someone else $30,000 to tell me how to save money,” he said.

Gagnon went on to explain his party's commitment to the business community, despite a possible public perception to the contrary.

"Here I am, a business person with the NDP,” he said. "The NDP are not what people think it is. They are progressive, and they are also out to help small businesses in the territory,” he said.

Hanson echoed the remarks, and stated her intention to honour their commitment to local business owners if elected on Oct. 11.

"While other parties make pie-in-the-sky promises, with no plans to deliver, you can count on the New Democrats to get results,” she said.