Yukon facing $31.6M deficit, as MLAs debate for 1st time since March

The Yukon government is back in the red,running a $31.6 million dollar deficitamid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Premier Sandy Silver tabled a supplementary budget on Thursday, asthe territory's Legislative Assembly reconvened for the first time since March.

The deficit comes afterthe government reported a $4.1 million surplus this spring.

While the vast majority of new spending is related to COVID-19,Premier Sandy Silver says he's concerned about the possibility of long term deficits.

Silver says thespending was necessaryand noted the Yukon did not lose its credit rating.

According to budget documents, the federal government covered most of the new spending.

"It's extremely concerning," said Silver. "But compared to other jurisdictions in Canada, we're in a very, very good place because of our strong commitment to the economy and the environment."

Budgetdocuments also paint a grim picture of Yukon's job market, showing the pandemic wiped out a decade of job growth in the territory.

Committee to review CEMA

The Liberal government also introduced a motion to set up an all-party committee to review Yukon's Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA), which was used to invoke emergency legislation amid the pandemic.The government has issued more than 24 ministerial orders under CEMA, including extending states of emergency.

The Yukon Party has been callingfor more democratic oversight of orders issued under CEMA.

On Thursday, the Liberals agreed changes were necessary. The premierproposeda committee made up of one member fromeach political party.

But the Yukon Party disagreed with thechoice ofCommunity Services Minister John Streicker, who isresponsible for CEMA, as the Liberal member of the committee.

"That's tantamount to him wanting to participate in the writing of his own report card," said Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon.

Premier Sandy Silver says Streicker's responsibility for CEMA madehim the perfect person for the committee.

"I guess there's no credit ever," said Silver.

The committee would conduct public hearings and call witnesses. It would issue a report by the end of August, 2021.

Proceedings looked somewhat different Thursday,with desks spaced outand masksmandatory in the public gallery.

During question period,NDPLeader Kate White asked abouthelp for the strugglingtourism industry andincreasing the $13.71 minimum wage, particularly after the federal "top-up" for essential workers runs out.

The Yukon Party asked about extramental health supports for children returning to school.

Education Minister Tracy-Anne McPheesaidthe government had not provided additional mental health supports for school re-openings, but noted that mental health supports already exist in the territory's schools.

She said the government wasdoing a review of student support services, but it wasdelayed due to the pandemic.