Yukon opposition parties criticize gov't for pushing through $70M in new spending

Yukon opposition parties are criticizing the Government of Yukon's decision to approve $70 million in supplementary spending through a special warrant — a process that allows them to bypass the parliamentary approval process.

The government has allocated $70.2 million overall through the special warrant. The Yukon's budget for the 2024/2025 fiscal year was $2.08 billion.

Of the total allocation, $51.8 million will fund operations at the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources "to ensure that the department can continue to deliver on major commitments during this fiscal year," the Yukon government said in a Thursday news release.

The news release said this includes payments included as part of the loan to the receiver for Victoria Gold.

In addition, $10 million will go towards capital funding in the Department of Community Services for land development work, the news release said. The remaining $8.4 million will go towards operations and maintenance in the Department of Highways and Public Works.

Members of the opposing Yukon Party and NDP said that special warrants are fairly common, but they have concerns about how this funding is being allocated and where the funding will come from.

"A $70 million special warrant is a pretty substantial one," said Yukon Party finance critic Brad Cathers.

"It's also just over two months after the Liberal government and their NDP partners passed the fall supplementary budget that, itself, increased the O and M [Operations and Maintenance] spending by just under $130 million."

Cathers slammed the territory's allocation of $51.8 million dollars to the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, saying it was only to "clean up the mess" at the Victoria Gold Eagle mine site, and criticizing the government's decision to "step in" and put the company into receivership rather than forcing the company to pay for the clean up.

"This Liberal government continues to waste tens of millions of dollars due to rash political decisions while neglecting Yukoner's real needs, and priorities," said Cathers.

Leader of the Yukon NDP Kate White also criticized the amount being spent by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.

"The Eagle mine disaster continues to cost Yukoners, and it is actually, I think, a barrier to some other things going forward. Within that $51.8 million, I want to know how much is going to the receiver," White said. 

White said she also wants more information from the government on the $10 million allocated for the Department of Community Services to advance land development work —  including what it's going to mean for Yukoners in the upcoming building season.

White said she has "lots of questions" about how the $70 million is being spent and where the funds are coming from.

"Programs are being paused," she said. "Positions aren't being filled. Caucus budgets have been frozen with the Yukon legislative office. So there are fiscal constraints all around government," she said.

CBC News requested an interview with Finance Minister Sandy Silver and with staff at the Yukon Department of Finance, but no one was available to comment.

Spending included in this special warrant will be tabled during the spring sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly.