The opposition parties are scoffing at Yukon Liberal Leader Sandy Silver’s assertion that he called an election because they didn’t support the budget he introduced March 4.

“I don’t think anyone believes him,” NDP Leader Kate White said this week.

“His budget was wrong for people, so of course I wouldn’t support it. But he didn’t need my vote to pass it. It’s pretty clear the premier is making stuff up to cover for his choice.

“The premier’s budget didn’t do anything to help people with affordable housing, or take action on addictions, or improve access to health care,” White added.

“Don Hutton stepped back from his caucus (on March 8) because of the premier’s continued refusal to take action on what communities need.”

White’s comment on Silver “not needing her vote” to pass the budget is in reference to the Liberal majority government.

Although Hutton defected from the party to sit as an independent, Silver still commanded a razor-thin majority government that would have allowed him to pass any confidence-related legislation – such as the $1.8-billion budget.

Dan Cable, the clerk of the assembly, outlined how the process would work last week after Hutton left the Liberal caucus.

On matters of importance, such as the budget, the Liberal government could call on Speaker Nils Clarke, who is a Liberal MLA, to cast the deciding vote.

In that circumstance, Clarke would be obliged to vote with the government, Cable said.

Brad Cathers, the finance critic for the Yukon Party, was equally uncomplimentary.

“It seems as if the premier is desperately floating flimsy excuses,” he told the Star Monday.

“The budget debate wasn’t taking any longer than normal, and there was no delaying on the part of the opposition.”

Even if the opposition parties were trying to stall the budget, Cathers said, it would have made no difference in practical terms.

“The premier had all the votes he needed,” Cathers said bluntly.

“The premier still had a majority when the budget was introduced and debate began.”

The only way the budget could have been defeated, he added, was if the Liberals were to have a second member defect from caucus, as Hutton did mere days after the budget was introduced.

“Maybe he was worried about losing another member,” Cathers said.

“I have no knowledge of that, but perhaps that was what he was worried about.”

Cathers did not say whether the Yukon Party would have supported or opposed the budget.

Both the Yukon Party and the NDP voted against the budget during second reading, but that was not a final vote. Third reading is the final vote – and could have been won by the Liberals.

The Yukon Party is planning to introduce its vision of child care in the near future, according to party officials.

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