Revised - A future Yukon Party government would require democratic oversight of any government during an extended emergency, like the one Yukoners are in today due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the last several months, the Yukon Liberal government has hidden from accountability and refused to allow for any democratic oversight of their actions,” the official Opposition party said Wednesday.

“They have refused to allow the legislature to sit and refused to allow committees to meet or discuss issues or ministerial orders related to the pandemic.”

This means, the Yukon Party said, that “the Liberals have been operating in secrecy while undermining the basic principles of democracy.

“At the same time, legislatures in almost every other province and territory in Canada have been sitting, or have resumed sitting, during the pandemic.”

In response to what it called “this abuse of power,” the YP said that if elected in 2021, it would amend the Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA) to require democratic oversight of the sitting government during a declared emergency.

The amendments to the act would include:

• changes to the law to ensure that even in an extended emergency, governments would still be subject to scrutiny and accountability by the legislature;

• the requirement that any extensions of a state of emergency be subject to debate in the legislature; and

• that orders-in-council and ministerial orders brought forward under the auspices of the CEMA would also be subject to review by the legislature.

The current state of emergency is scheduled to expire Sept. 10, but could be extended.

“Some of what the Liberals have done was necessary,” said YP Leader Currie Dixon.

“Some of what they have done was flawed, misguided, implemented without consultation, and potentially catastrophic for the territory’s future.

“But all of what they have done deserves scrutiny in the legislature. Simply put, the pandemic is not an excuse for the Liberals to avoid scrutiny of their actions. Yukoners expect and deserve a working democracy.”

Debate of the 2020-21 fiscal year budget was sped up and shortened last March so the legislature could be adjourned. 

Over the past 23 weeks, the YP noted, the Liberals have dramatically increased spending and launched broad new, unbudgeted programs.”

The government has also “issued unprecedented executive orders that affect the way people can live their lives, and possibly even infringed on Charter and constitutional rights,” the opposition party said.

“Further, the Liberals directly requested that their debt limit be doubled to $800 million.

“Finally, they have announced an extension of the state of emergency without any democratic oversight.”

The YP calculates that the Liberals have passed 26 orders-in-council and ministerial orders during the pandemic that make major changes to the way Yukoners are governed.

They included “giving themselves the power to ignore legal timelines and make changes to the way we are taxed,” the YP said.

“These orders were passed without democratic oversight. and the Liberals have refused to allow legislative committees to review them after the fact,” the party said.

“The Liberals extended the state of emergency by 90 days on June 12 without any democratic debate or oversight – a move inconsistent with other provinces which allowed for debate of their emergency extensions.”

As for doubling the territory’s debt limit to $800 million earlier this year, the YP said, “they did not even announce this – and it was only because of the official Opposition that the Yukon public became aware.

“The Liberals have been unable to tell Yukoners how much money has been spent to date and who has received all the money.”

On March 9, the YP recalled, the Liberals used their majority to shut down opposition attempts to create an all-party committee to study and make recommendations on the government’s response to COVID-19.

“The Liberals refused attempts to allow for all parties to work together on the school reopening plan,” the YP said.

“The Liberals stacked the deck on their electoral reform commission, refused to work co-operatively with the other political parties, and appointed partisan members.

When the expert non-partisan Electoral Boundaries Commission recommended new territorial riding boundaries, the YP said, “the Liberals used their majority to shut down the legislation to implement these changes simply because they would have impacted their ability to get re-elected.”

At Wednesday afternoon’s weekly COVID-19 media briefing, Premier Sandy Silver was asked about the government oversight legislation a YP regime would pursue.

“The legislative assembly is opening up in October,” Silver said.

“Very excited to get back into the legislative assembly. Very interested in what the opposition has to say, suggestions, critiques, the whole nine yards.”

On Wednesdays in the legislature, he noted, the opposition parties can put forth motions of their choosing.

“Nothing is stopping them right now from sending in e-mails or letters as well, but definitely, really looking forward to the opening of the legislative assembly,” Silver said.

The premier was also asked if he believes the government is simply too busy to have an on-the-record, legislative review of its actions of the last several months.?

“No. Not at all,” he said.

“The legislative assembly was closed down when the official Opposition requested that we shut down the assembly. We have not heard much from them since, despite numerous offerings for briefings, discussions on ministerial orders, response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our government has been working tirelessly all summer. In fact, we have been in here day in and day out since March, and that is exactly what Yukoners expect from their elected officials.”

MLAs will reconvene on Oct. 1, he noted.

“We really relish the opportunity to have thoughtful debate and show Yukoners what we have done to not only reduce the curve but plank the curve of cases here in Yukon.”

This morning, the Yukon Party said the premier was wrong to state the opposition wanted the legislature to be recessed on March 19.

“In fact, it was after a plea from the premier that the official Opposition agreed to expedite the passage of the budget,” the party said in a statement.

“This agreement was contingent on a promise by the premier that the Liberal government would fund continuous glucose monitoring for Yukoners.”