NDP PROUD OF ITS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS SITTING
After the 28-day fall sitting of the Legislative Assembly, Yukoners are no closer to knowing the Fentie government’s true plans for privatizing our energy assets or our health care system, says NDP energy critic Todd Hardy.
“I did not hear anything from the premier that gives me much hope our energy assets will continue to be locally owned and locally controlled,” Hardy adds. “I feel the premier is still exploring ways to privatize them behind the backs of the Yukon people.”
He also worries our public health care system is being targeted. This government’s focus on the escalating costs of delivering health care is its way of setting the stage for privatization and user fees.
“The federal NDP brought free and universal health care to Canada and the territorial NDP will always champion a strong, free and accessible public health-care system,” he says.
However, the NDP showed the skeptics it was able to work with the government to move an unprecedented number of initiatives forward.
These include establishing committees to look into legislative renewal, rewriting the Landlord and Tenant Act and bringing forward legislation to allow credit unions once again in the territory.
“In addition, we persuaded the government to host a major summit in the new year to hold a focused discussion to examine effective strategies to respond to poverty and other factors, such as housing, education and employment, which exclude people from participating in healthy and productive living,” Hardy notes.
“We also persuaded the government to postpone bringing forward major changes to the Yukon Oil and Gas Act until the spring sitting of the legislature to allow more time for public security and consultation.”
The NDP caucus will continue to look for ways to work with both the Yukon and Liberal parties to ensure that the things done in the Legislative Assembly will help improve the lives of Yukoners in tangible ways.
“Our job as elected representatives is to work in the public interest,” he says. “Sometimes that requires compromise and sometimes it requires holding the government’s feet to the fire.”