WHITEHORSE — The Yukon NDP’s support for fossil fuel subsidies shows they are abandoning the climate change emergency and undermining Yukon’s greenhouse gas emission targets, says the Yukon Liberal Caucus.
Leader Kate White’s support for a fossil fuel subsidy was announced in a surprisingly inconsistent video posted on the NDP caucus Facebook page.
In the 34-second video posted on November 1, 2023, White provides three inconsistent positions: first suggesting the federal government’s suspension of the carbon tax on home heating fuel doesn’t go far enough, then discussing the devastating impact of wildfires in the North and finally calling for GST cut, echoing a call made by the federal Conservative Party and the actions of former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.
White’s video raises serious questions about White’s and the NDP’s commitment to the climate change emergency and the Yukon’s target of a 45 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.
Canada and The North are still recovering from one of the worst wildfire seasons on record. The Yukon has suffered another record flood season. Despite these national and regional catastrophes, the Yukon NDP has sided with federal and Alberta Conservatives to reduce the government’s ability to deliver services and fight climate change.
This has led Yukoners to ask whether the Yukon NDP’s concern for climate change may be more about political posturing than genuine commitment.
“It is troubling to hear the NDP undermine carbon pricing and propose fossil fuel subsidies. We need to help Yukoners move to energy and renewables, not increase their fossil fuel dependency,” said Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources John Streicker, MLA for Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes. A professional engineer and climate scientist, Streicker has long worked to combat climate change and was a reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report.
“I was surprised to see the Yukon NDP abandon the price signal on fossil fuels,” said Finance Minister Sandy Silver, MLA for Klondike. “Yukoners know that there’s a cost associated with the climate emergency. To hear the NDP call for those costs to be passed on to future generations while also putting government in a position to be able to do less to fight climate change completely goes against everything they’ve proclaimed to stand for as a party,” added Silver.
The Yukon Liberal Caucus is proud to stand with the Government of British Columbia in supporting carbon pricing.
The Yukon Liberal Caucus calls on the Yukon NDP to provide a clear and detailed plan outlining how they intend to follow through on their climate commitments while reconciling their new stance on fossil fuels. Yukon residents deserve transparency and accountability from their elected officials when it comes to addressing climate change.