Arms-length agencies accuse Yukon Liberals of interfering with budgets

A trio of independent agencies funded by the Yukon government say civil servants are mucking about with the agencies' budgets.

The heads of all three offices have written to the Legislative Assembly's members' services board (MSB) to complain.

Annette King, the territory's child and youth advocate, said the involvement of the finance department's management board in the budgeting process amounts to "political interference."

"First of all, I come up with a budget that is fiscally responsible in the first place," King said. "That's my obligation before I even provide that to the members' services board, an all-party committee of the Legislative Assembly."

King said it's normal for MSB members to question her on the budget and even ask for less spending. But she said its unheard of for bureaucrats to directly demand specific cuts to a budget already approved by the MSB.

"This is not something I've ever seen before and it looks and feels like a conflict of interest to me." 

Jason Pedlar, the territory's ombudsman, access to information and privacy commissioner and public interest disclosure commissioner, said he's also confused by what appears to be a new, arbitrary change to the budgeting process.

He said what normally happens once the MSB approves agency budgets is that they're then tabled in the assembly by the finance minister and then voted on by MLAs. Civil servants directly demanding changes to the budget is something new, Pedlar said.

"What we have here is we have government interfering with that process," he said. "And I'm not entirely clear on what authority they have to involve themselves in the first place."

The Yukon's chief electoral officer, Max Harvey, wasn't available for an interview. But he also blasted the process.

"I am concerned that Elections Yukon is not being given the support and tools it needs to do its job," Harvey wrote to Speaker Jeremy Harper, a Liberal MLA who chairs the members services board.  

"I am not prepared to put Elections Yukon in an underfunded position and accept a level of risk prejudicial to readiness and the conduct of the next election."

Elections Yukon must oversee a territorial election next year, which will include a plebiscite on electoral reform.

Harper himself also wrote to Finance Minister Sandy Silver, calling on the government to knock it off.

"This concerning change in practice undermines the independence of the above offices as separate entities from the Yukon government," Harper wrote. 

Yukon Party finance critic Brad Cathers said the government is breaking the law.

"Legally, only members' services board and the Legislative Assembly itself have the authority to approve or reduce the budget for these independent offices," he said. "The minister of finance and indeed the entire cabinet needs to respect the law and follow it." 

Cabinet spokesperson Laura Seeley ignored a request for an interview and sent a prepared statement instead.

"At this stage in the budget-building process, elected officials have not finalized the budget," Seeley wrote. 

"It is unfortunate that the Yukon Party feels it is appropriate to publicly criticize the work of civil servants, but it is not out of character, given their previous statements in opposition, and actions while in government."