WHITEHORSE – Currie Dixon and the Conservative Yukon Party have failed sports advocates across the territory, preferring to get their hands dirty on the political playing field rather than an actual playing field.
The Yukon Liberal government is proud to provide Sport Yukon with more than $1 million in funding as part of Budget 2023-24. The organization acts as a hub for Yukon sport organizations across the territory, working – in their words – “to elevate sport and create a vibrant, supportive, inclusive, and coordinated sport community.” Budget 2023-24 also provides over $6 million in funding for sports and recreation across the Yukon, as well as money to maintain community infrastructure like recreation centres, community pools, and playground equipment.
The Yukon Liberal government is providing sporting organizations with the resources they need to provide excellent programming to Yukoners, and is actively engaging with Sport Yukon and Softball Yukon, as well as parents, families and Takhini residents to determine a location for the new École Whitehorse Elementary School on the Takhini Education Reserve.
“Rather than positively adding to the conversation or proposing ideas that meet the needs of students, parents, and sporting advocates alike, Currie Dixon’s conservative Yukon Party Caucus attempted to cut the legs out from under sporting advocates, voting against Budget 2023-24 and its allocation of more than $1 million to Sport Yukon and $6 million for sports and recreation across the territory,” said the Hon. Richard Mostyn, Minister of Community Services and MLA for Whitehorse West.
When asked why every member of his caucus said “no” to sports and recreation enthusiasts and voted against the budget, Currie Dixon told CHON FM that sitting in the Legislative Assembly “does get a little tiring” and outed himself and his caucus colleagues as possibly the only Yukoners who would prefer an election in 2023. Had their efforts to obtain a majority vote against the budget succeeded, the Yukon would have been cast into an early election.
“If Currie Dixon is tired and needs to take a break, he absolutely should take the time he needs to rest and recover,” said Mostyn. “In fact, he can rest easy in the knowledge that the Yukon Liberal team continues to work hard each and every day to provide Yukoners with the resources they need to live healthy, active lives.”