NDP would use public Whitehorse land for housing

Yukon NDP Leader Liz Hanson began the week of election campaigning in her own riding of Whitehorse Centre on Monday, partaking in a guided visit of community service organizations put on by the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition.

The issue of homelessness arose several times during the See for Yourself Tour, as it was billed, and Hanson said creating affordable housing is a top priority for her party in Whitehorse Centre.

Like the Liberal Party pledged Monday, Hanson said the NDP would also support the Northern City Supportive Housing Coalition's $1.8-million plan to build 20 units of housing for homeless people in the riding.

She said she wants to see another level of government play its part as well.

"There's some challenges in terms of working with the federal government," Hanson said. "They've withdrawn completely from this whole affordable housing area. And so I'd be wanting to work with our member of Parliament, our senator, to make sure that they're on side."

The NDP leader said her party has a number of solutions to help tackle the current housing shortage in Whitehorse, including theuseof vacant downtown land, owned by the territorial government,todevelop into affordable housing.

"On one hand, we're saying there's no land available. But if we actually walk around my riding, there's lots of land available. It's just not being developed."

Pasloski panned by First Nations

Yukon Party Leader Darrell Pasloski appears to have started his election campaign off on the wrong foot with First Nation leaders.

Grand Chief Ruth Massie of the Council of Yukon First Nations said it is disappointing and disrespectful for Pasloski to take a pass on meeting with Yukon chiefs.

Pasloski and other political leaders were invited on Sept. 1 to a meeting with the territory's chiefs, Massie said. Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell, NDP Leader Liz Hansen, Green Party Leader Kristina Calhoun and leader Gerald Dickson of the fledgling Yukon First Nation Party all committed to meet with the chiefs on Monday or Tuesday.

"It is extremely disappointing that the premier chose not to accept a dialogue with the chiefs," Massie said in a press release. "There are many territorial issues that must be discussed, including the recommendations of the Peel River Water Commission and resource royalty sharing."

Massie's statement reminded Pasloski that there are a significant number of First Nations voters in the territory. She declined an interview Monday but has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon.

Greens would protect clean water

The Yukon Green Party pledged Monday that if elected, it would make clean food, air and water a human right. That includes ensuring responsible resource development in mining and other industries, the party said.

Party leader Kristina Calhoun said the government's handling of land-use planning in the Peel River's watershed highlights a big problem with environmental policy in the territory. It's clear most Yukoners want the Peel protected, as recommended by the process set up under land claims, but that's not happening, she said.

"I believe that that is completely the example of these things not quite working."

She also said the Greens would toughen up environmental regulations, and enforce them more stringently, if elected. While most most mining companies are improving their practices, Calhoun said, she's been told laws are ignored at some remote operations because of lax enforcement.

"Unless you have enforcement, unless you have people going in and watching and seeing what's happening, of course the current government can say, 'Oh, everything's just fine. This is exactly what we're doing.' "

Yukoners go to the polls Oct. 11. There are 19 ridings up for grabs, one more than in the 2006 election because of redistricting.