The big economic plan the premier will announce tonight has nothing new in it, according to the New Democrats.

Official Opposition Leader Todd Hardy denounced the new plan, which the Star obtained today prior to its scheduled release late this afternoon.

'I don't see anything concrete. I just see a lot of platitudes, a lot of motherhood statements,' Hardy said about the 48-page document marked final draft.

The recommendations in the document include:

• 'the Yukon government will encourage innovation in all sectors of the economy;'

• 'find ways to attract entrepreneurs to the territory;'

• 'identify ways to encourage and support entrepreneurship in appropriate ways, with a particular emphasis on young entrepreneurs;'

• 'find ways to attract skilled workers and entrepreneurs to the territory;'

• 'assess skill shortages across all sectors, and assist industry to meet its identified needs for skill development;'

• 'develop and promote the Yukon brand;''

• 'help identify and promote products and services where Yukon firms have or can develop a sustainable competitive advantage;'

• 'scan market research and trends, and provide ongoing market information assistance to the business community;'

• 'identify specific strategies to seek outside investment;'

• 'market the Yukon as a good place to invest through such mechanisms as trade missions, marketing support materials, responding to inquiries;'

• 'assess the territory's infrastructure and ensure that it expands to meet the needs of economic growth;'

• 'work to increase broadband capacity and advocate to make it affordable to subscribers;'

• 'promote the development of primary and secondary industries;'

• 'focus on diversifying the economy by encouraging sustainable and long-term economic activity;'

• 'promote and work with stakeholders and partners to make projects happen;'

• 'promote a can do' culture;'

• 'assess the competitiveness of our regulatory regimes against others in Canada and internationally;'

• 'identify strategic opportunities for business projects to benefit Yukon's economy.'

Hardy said the report has nothing new and just talks about what needs to be done, as has been said for some time, and not what needs to be done.

'It's not a road map or direction of where the Yukon is going to go (under the Yukon Party).'

The document is entitled: A new direction: building a sustainable and competitive Yukon economy. Hardy disagreed with the title.

'Calling it a new direction is very misleading because it's regurgitated information.'

Liberal Leader Pat Duncan also feels there is nothing solid to the document.

'There isn't a whole lot to say about it because there's not a whole lot in it,' she said.

Duncan said it's just more talk from the government and she wants to see action from it, now.

'Basically, it's 48 pages of wait and see.'

But Fentie argued the document does have a lot in it that is new.

Among the new things he listed include: the guiding principle about the Yukon being competitive; the heavy involvement of Yukon first nations in the strategy; and the focus on primary and secondary industries.

Fentie said the focus on growing and supporting certain industries is new. Those main 'strategic industries' include tourism, mining, oil and gas, and forestry, according to Fentie.

Another new direction, according to Fentie, is the creation of two funds by this government. One of the funds would deal with the strategic industries, while the other would look at economic development in the territory's different regions.

'We're not ignoring the communities,' he said of the regional economic development fund.

However, neither fund is in the strategy. When asked about it, Fentie said they would both be in the upcoming budget, which will be released at a later date the premier has yet to announce.

He said the plan overall is connected to the upcoming budget.

The premier also said part of the new direction to the economy will come through government spending in the upcoming budget to get the economy going.

'Our commitment in the short-term is to increase (investment in business by the government).'

Fentie would not give a date for the budget. He only said it would be released in the near future.

He said the plan for the long-term is to grow those main strategic industries.

In the long-term, the premier said his government has already done things to help make the Yukon more attractive to investment.

For example, in mining, he said the government has done a lot to show the industry the Yukon government is willing to work with them by doing things such as pulling the plug on the Yukon Protected Areas Strategy.