The territory’s economy is on solid footing, and the future is looking promising, Premier Sandy Silver told the legislature Monday, the first day of the fall sitting.

He cited a robust mining sector with Victoria Gold in full swing with the construction of its Eagle Gold Project near Mayo.

Goldcorp’s Coffee Gold Project is now in the environmental assessment process, and the company is predicting it will begin construction in 2020, he told the legislature.

He said spending on mineral exploration is expected to hit $172 million this year – the high highest since 2012.

Numbers from unemployment statistics, retail sales, the gross domestic product, are all favourable and point to a growth in of the territory’s population of some 3,000 people into 2022, he said.

“On the economic side, Yukon remains one of the best places in Canada to be, with the lowest unemployment rate in Canada and some of the highest weekly earnings,” Silver told the legislature after tabling an Interim Fiscal and Economic Update.

“Strong retail sales as well as high levels of construction activity are reflective of a positive economic climate. The mid-term economic outlook remains positive.”

The premier, on the other hand, refused to answer questions about a cabinet document leaked to the CBC regarding instructions to all deputy ministers to find a two per cent saving in their operations and maintenance budgets.

The document is apparently a memorandum to all deputy ministers signed by Katherine White, the deputy minister of Finance.

The undated memorandum is cited as instructions from a recent decision of the management board.

That board is made up of Silver and cabinet ministers Ranj Pillai and Tracy-Anne McPhee, though other cabinet ministers attend regularly, as do some deputy ministers.

The memorandum notes the goal of returning to a surplus budget by the 2020-21 fiscal year, and how different departments may not be able to contribute equally to that goal.

“Given the above, Management Board has confirmed direction to work toward achieving overall savings of 1 per cent and directing departments to submit plans to achieve ongoing operations and maintenance savings of up to two per cent,” says the memorandum.

It was tabled in the legislature by Yukon Party MLA Brad Cathers.

The Lake Laberge representative also challenged the premier’s rosy outlook. He suggested Silver overlooked some telling numbers that don’t paint such a bright picture of the economy since the Liberals took office in December 2016.

During question period, Yukon Party MLA Scott Kent asked Silver about the direction management board has given to the deputy ministers to cut two per cent in the O & M budgets.

Two per cent for the Department of Education would equate to $3.6 million, Kent told the legislature.

“Can the minister tell us where the Liberals are intending to cut the $3.6 million from Education’s budget?” he asked.

Kent asked Silver if he would rule out any cuts to student services and programming, and slashes to salaries and benefits for teachers.

Silver said he would not be commenting on the document Kent was referring to.

The Liberal government has faced leaked documents before, and the content of those documents never did materialize, he told the legislature.

The premier said his government will continue to work with the documents it has on its side of the floor.

“I will say that it’s not news to anybody in the Yukon that the government is looking for new ways of being efficient,” he said.

“That was one of the central recommendations of the Yukon Financial Advisory Panel. We are looking now at how services are organized. We’re looking at management and delivery of services and we’re looking for efficiencies to better deliver services to Yukoners.”

Silver told the legislature his government is about to launch a comprehensive review of programs and services delivered by the Department of Health and Social Services.

Spending by Health and Social Services is growing by 14 per cent a year – and that growth needs to be curtailed, he said.

The premier told the legislature spending by the former Yukon Party government was out of control. Now it’s up to the Liberals to find ways to right the ship.

Their focus is finding efficiencies that will not affect the delivery of programs and services, he said.

In a scrum with reporters outside the house following question period, Silver continued his refusal to discuss the leaked memorandum. He again insisted his government is focused on finding efficiencies to balance the budget.

Both interim Yukon Party Leader Stacey Hassard and NDP Leader Liz Hanson accused the premier of not being forthright, of continuing to not answer key questions of interest to the public.