The former Yukon Party government left behind a budget deficit, Premier Sandy Silver said Monday.

“Coming into office, we understood that Yukon had a surplus budget,” Silver said in a press release issued yesterday to announce another $29.4 million in spending brought forward through a special warrant approved by an order-in-council.

“There is no surplus; there is a deficit.”

Silver, who also serves as the Finance minister, told the Star this morning the $8-million deficit was run up by the former Yukon Party government’s spending prior to the Nov. 7, 2016 territorial election.

The previous government did not plan for the additional spending because it wanted to campaign on a surplus budget, he suggested.

Silver said his government is not looking back, however, but is focused on going forward with his promise to deliver the first Liberal budget in March.

Having the deficit budget means finding areas to reduce spending, he said.

When Silver had the legislature convened for just one day on Jan. 12, he explained he simply wanted to kickstart the work of government by appointing the different all-party legislative committees.

He did not want to spend any time in the legislature having to answer questions about a territorial budget he had nothing to do with, he explained on the day of the session.

With the additional $29.4 million, the territorial budget for the current fiscal year ending March 31 rises to $1.42 billion, up from $1.39 billion.

Of the $29.4 million, $21.6 million is required for operation and maintenance and $7.8 million is needed for additional capital spending.

Government officials were unavailable to explain what the $8-million deficit means for the territory’s savings account.

No Yukon Party opposition MLA was available for comment this morning to discuss what has happened.

When former premier Darrell Pasloski introduced his second budget last April, he boasted how his government had never run a deficit – and how his 2016-17 budget included a $9-million surplus.

Monday’s announcement notes that 12 government departments need additional money, with more than half of the special warrant, or $15.4 million, going to the the Department of Education: $12.1 million for operations and maintenance and $3.2 for capital purposes.

The Yukon Housing Corp. is the recipient of the second increase under the special warrant, with $2.4 million more earmarked for capital projects.

Monday’s announcement says some of the additional spending is linked to the new collective agreement with government employees ratified last summer, election expenses, last September’s royal visit to the territory and the additional education expenses.

Earlier this month, for instance, the government released figures showing the cost of the royal visit to the Yukon government was $429,286.

The Elections Office is receiving an additional $100,000, as outlined in Monday’s order-in-council.

While the annual budget for the Elections Office is normally around $500,000 or less, the fiscal budget for this election year provided for $1.7 million.

A new collective agreement for 3,750 Yukon government employees was approved in July 2016 and called for a five-per cent wage increase over the three-year life of the contract.

According to the order-in-council, other departments requiring additional spending are:

• Office of the Ombudsman – $10,000 O & M, $25,000 capital;

• Executive Council Office – $1.9 million O & M;

• Environment – $1.3 million O & M, $125,000 capital;

• Finance – $1.4 million O & M;

• French Language Services Directorate – $268,000 O & M, $5,000 capital;

• Health and Social Services – $1.4 million O & M;

• Justice – $1.4 million O & M;

• Tourism and Culture – $1.6 million O & M, $1.8 million capital;

• Women’s Directorate – $116,000 O & M.