NDP accuses Yukon government of ignoring municipal needs
Official opposition say it's a matter of transparency, asks government for funding criteria
Yukon's official opposition has picked up on a hot topic before Whitehorse city council: how the territorial government determines infrastructure funding for municipalities.
In the legislature on Tuesday, NDP Leader Liz Hanson put pointed questions to the government on the matter, noting that municipal governments are responsible for pricey items such as water, sewer, solid waste, and sports and recreation.
She said while municipal governments "intimately understand" their communities, they aren't being heard by the territorial government.
"As we heard [Monday] at Whitehorse city council, there are concerns that the real infrastructure needs of Yukon communities are not being heard by this government."
Hanson also criticized the Yukon government for "passing over" municipal requests related to waste management, while devoting millions to a proposed outdoor sports complex in Whistle Bend.
Community Services Minister Currie Dixon replied that the government began a process last year "of engagement with Yukon communities."
He also said the government consulted with First Nations and other groups throughout the territory, to gauge their priorities for the next round of federal infrastructure spending.
Dixon said that after meetings with elected town councils and officials, a document detailing those discussions was made available on his department's website.
He noted that the total amount requested by municipal governments and other groups was "well over a billion dollars." The New Building Canada Fund, through which the federal government supports infrastructure projects, will be worth nearly $22 million to Yukon this year.
Dixon also defended the government's spending priorities for infrastructure, saying they are "in line" with municipal needs.
He said the projects that are completed or underway are "needed, wanted and appreciated by the municipal governments."