After Yukoners got their look at the governing Liberals’ $1.5-billion budget in March and the party’s third of its mandate, the spring sitting wrapped up Tuesday with both opposition parties finding much to criticize.

NDP Leader Liz Hanson, fresh off criticizing the government for a “lacklustre sitting,” continued to take aim at the Liberals for their approach to electoral reform.

The NDP joined the Yukon Party this sitting in criticizing the approach being taken by YG as something they saw as partisan, since Premier Sandy Silver will be signing off on at least one of the three appointments to the commission.

Silver has maintained feedback from both parties is welcome, something Hanson still doesn’t buy.

Reiterating her worry the commission’s mandate was too broad and could instead focus solely on electoral reform options rather than including political fundraising and voting registration, Hanson said there was little grey area.

“We’re saying very clearly: it’s either electoral reform and it’s non-partisan, or it’s not,” she said.

“Non-partisan is to actually agree that we look objectively at names of people who have put their names forward to serve on this commission.

“We weren’t saying that we wanted to govern or lead the commission; we’re simply saying don’t get yourself caught in the trap of appearing to be partisan.”

Just moments before Hanson’s remarks, YG likened the party’s request to collaborate on the selection process for commission members to “co-governance.”

That was according to Ranj Pillai. With the premier in Nova Scotia for family matters, deputy premier Pillai spoke to reporters after question period.

“The premier had said and our team had said we will collaborate with the other two parties – I don’t think there was ever a commitment to co-governance; it was about collaboration,” Pillai said.

He added Silver “has at all occasions tried to make sure – understanding that we’re not going to be in agreement all the time, understanding he is the premier and that he was elected as the premier – (that he) has to show leadership.

“I don’t think having Liz Hanson make the decisions is going to make this is a stronger process; where we are right now, there’s a transparent process,” Pillai added.

With the deadline for applications set for Friday, he stressed patience.

“We know ... that we will be judged upon by those individuals who are standing there (on the commission).”

Generally speaking, spring sittings are heavily focused on debating the government’s budget, Yukon Party interim leader Stacey Hassard said – and this sitting was no different.

“Unfortunately, I think the Liberal government’s priorities don’t necessarily align with the priorities of Yukoners,” he said of YG’s $1.5-billion blueprint.

It sets aside just over $1.2 billion for operations and maintenance, while capital projects clock in at $288 million.

Pointing to some changes like a drop of more than $3 million in capital spending for work on the Dempster Highway (Star, March 29) and a drop in funding for some Yukon Housing Corp. programs (Star, April 1), Hassard was left scratching his head.

Noting those changes in the budget came against the backdrop of the average price of a single-detached home in Whitehorse cracking the half-million dollar mark in 2018, he wondered what kind of message that sent.

“Land availability is an issue, programs through Yukon Housing (are) well subscribed to in the past – it’s certainly unfortunate to see those programs being cut at this time,” Hassard added.

Last fall, the party asked seemingly daily questions on the federal government-imposed carbon tax, set to hit the territory July 1.

“Would we have liked to have more time to ask more questions on carbon tax and carbon pricing? Absolutely; I think that was quite obvious this afternoon,” Hassard said.

That was in reference to colleague Brad Cathers, who brought forward a motion Tuesday to extend the sitting by two days to allow for more debate on things like that and the Departments of Education and Health and Social Services’ budgets. Consent was required from all MLAs but was not achieved.

“I don’t think that anyone is going to expect or suspect that we’ve given up on this fight on the carbon tax, because we certainly haven’t at all,” Hassard added.

Meanwhile, Hanson also had some choice words around issues relating to the environment and climate change.

“Instead of taking a simple, cost-effective approach to just banning single-use plastics, they (YG) get into this long and complicated process that we’re going to move towards it,” she said. “Just take the decision.”

YG wrapped up its public engagement on imposing a fee for single-use plastics in late April, and has said an outright ban is a long-term goal.

Making a tougher decision sooner could be a sign of maturity for a party now in the third calendar year of its mandate, Hanson said. She referenced the fact the budget shows YG gets more than 80 per cent of its revenue from Ottawa.

In his earlier remarks, Pillai begged to differ.

“We are no longer a new government and our progress speaks for itself,” he said. He listed off rules around carbon rebates, substitute teachers, and Yukon worker entitlements as among those the territory welcomed this sitting.

The Star also asked how Yukoners can be assured YG will be budgeting more accurately, after two projects have clocked in higher than expected: some work on the Ross River school which it is looking to cancel, and the rising cost of the francophone high school in Riverdale.

Commending the public service for meeting with the business community and pointing to its five-year capital plan, Pillai (who is also the minister of Economic Development) said such documents provide certainty for the private sector.

“Some people say you can tell what an economy looks like by how many cranes are in the air,” he said.

“I can tell you, there is a feeling in this community right now when you drive through and you see cranes building bigger projects, that we are in a position where there is strong investor confidence.”

However, the two specific projects the Star asked about in the schools are both commissioned by the government.

Others bills passed this sitting include amendments to the Securities Act and Miscellaneous Statue Law Amendment Act.

As for what’s next as the summer unfolds, Pillai added ministers will be hitting communities over the next number of months; Highways and Public Works’ Richard Mostyn will be in Ross River early this month, while Pillai will head there in mid-May.

Meanwhile, this was Hanson’s last sitting as leader of the New Democrats.

While she will stay on as MLA for Whitehorse Centre, eight-year colleague Kate White will be taking over the leadership come the fall sitting after Hanson announced she’d be stepping away from the helm last year.