The 2017/18 Budget: Making Yukoners’ Lives Better.

Our Liberal Caucus was proud to table its first budget in government on Thursday, April 27^th, 2017. The commitments in this budget reach a broad spectrum of Yukoners, from young to old. It is a budget about people and it is focused on supporting all in our territory to make lives better

To honour our commitment to open, transparent government we have outlined a budget that accounts for the true cost of running the Yukon government by including as much information as is known to us.

Highlights from the 2017/2018 Yukon budget:

Taxes

• The reduction to the corporate tax rate. We are going to reduce the rate for Yukon businesses from 15 to 12 per cent.
• The reduction of the small business tax rate to 2 per cent. This amounts to $1.6 million dollars in savings for Yukon businesses. This is money that stays in the hands of hard working Yukon families. It is money that can be reinvested in the local economy.

Investments in a people-centered approach to wellness.

• $1.6 million dollars to support 11 new full-time addictions and mental wellness workers in eight communities outside of Whitehorse.
• $1.46 million for the operations and maintenance of the new Sarah Steel addiction treatment facility.
• A renewed commitment to the Jackson Lake healing centre and an additional $150,000 for a Yukon-wide land based healing program.
• $97,000 for a two-year term position that will coordinate our participation in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls inquiry.
• $4 million dollar increase for school staff, which includes more teachers and educational assistants.
• $771,000 increase in support for homecare.
• $660,000 for seniors’ housing units in Carmacks.
• $650,000 towards the purchase of four new ambulances.

Investments to create good jobs in a sustainable economy.

• $150,000 to develop an over-arching strategy to drive growth in Yukon’s tourism sector.
• Doubling the funding available to support regional economic development projects to $800,000. These funding dollars will be distributed to grass-roots, community-led economic development projects.
• $15.3 million for bridge rehabilitation, including the Nares River Bridge, Nisutlin Bridge and Fox Creek Bridge.
• $35.8 million for highway improvements.
• $30 million for infrastructure projects in communities.
• $1.5 million for innovative renewable energy projects.

Strategic investments for healthy communities

• $500,000 for Habitat for Humanity’s construction of two four-plexes.
• $660,000 for four accessible seniors’ housing units in Carmacks.
• $2.4 million to construct six staff housing units in Ross River.
• $95,000 to support rural dog population management.
• $220,000 as additional core funding to Yukon youth groups.
• $1.5 Million for MacBride Museum’s expansion.
• $200,000 to research the viability of a Dawson paleontology facility.
• $130,000 towards developing a heritage management plan for historic sites.

Fostering reconciliation: Government to Government

• $100,000 annually to host the Yukon Forum four times per year.
• $150,000 to support Indigenous women’s organizations.
• $325,000 to support the Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle in delivering training to communities and to Team Yukon attending the North American Indigenous Games.
• $1.5 Million for the First Nation Housing Program for new housing, renovations and rent supplements.

This budget is a full budget that includes the true costs of governing this territory. Unfortunately, this was not common practice in the past, with major operating and maintenance cost — such as the $36 million required for the Whistle Bend Care Facility — excluded.

The Yukon Liberal government will not follow this budget technique, and have included these costs in our future years.

To move forward, we have developed a Financial Advisory Panel. This panel will consult with Yukoners and advise on options that will help Yukon return to a healthy financial position. This panel is made up of five territorial and Canadian business management and academic leaders – all of whom were selected because they are recognized, forward-thinking individuals in their respective fields.

We look forward to debating this budget in the Legislative Assembly.

To learn more and view the 2017/18 Budget: https://goo.gl/vjAA09.