The member from Mayo-Tatchun informed me of his decision to resign this morning. I am disappointed but not surprised. Our team has heard his concerns and have made many efforts to involve him in policy conversations on these issues. He has chosen not to join these conversations.
As the MLA for Klondike, I can commiserate with him on the difficulties that rural MLAs face. We all balance the needs of our riding, commuting to and from Whitehorse, and the needs of the Cabinet office. These are not seasonal jobs; these are full time positions that require a massive level of commitment.
Our Liberal team has made strides to improve mental health and addiction services across the territory and specifically in the Mayo-Tatchun riding.
This includes creating Nurse Practitioner positions in Mayo and Carmacks and opening a Mental Wellness and Substance Use Hub in Carmacks, and offices in Mayo and Pelly Crossing to serve the Mayo-Tatchun riding.
We recognize the need for more support and services which is why we have committed to following the recommendations of the Putting People First report on healthcare services and the MMIWG2S+ strategy. There is more work to be done and we are most certainly not finished this work yet.
The member did indicate to our team that he does not intend to seek re-election this year. We will make sure the people of Mayo-Tatchun have an excellent Liberal candidate when the election happens.
