We have passed the half way mark of the 2022 fall sitting in the Yukon Legislative Assembly!
This week the Yukon Liberal government and the Yukon RCMP launched a new Mobile Crisis Response Team in Whitehorse. Named Car 867, the new unit will be staffed with a police officer and mental health nurse to respond to calls for service related to mental health issues and suicide risks. Car 867 is a key action to respond to the Substance Use Health Emergency. Together with the City of Whitehorse, the government co-hosted a Recycling Summit to help Yukoners learn more about how they can to recycle, reuse and reduce their waste. As of January 1, 2023 single-use paper bags will be banned in the Yukon, one year after single-use plastic bags were banned in the territory. This week the government launched the 100th major public engagement under the Yukon Liberal government. The 100th engagement seeks feedback from Yukoners on how Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) should work in the Yukon. EPR will help make recycling more financially sustainable, keep more waste out of landfills and help the Yukon reach the waste diversion and greenhouse gas reduction targets under Our Clean Future. Find out more about EPR and share your thoughts here.
This week, Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee received unanimous support for Motion No. 448, affirming that reproductive healthcare is essential to the health, freedom, and the social and economic futures of women and girls and that the right to an abortion in Yukon and access to abortion services in the territory need to be protected. As Minister McPhee said, “Abortion rights are human rights. And we cannot become complacent about this basic healthcare right.” It was great to see the Legislative Assembly united on this issue. Thank you to the Yukon NDP and the Yukon Party for supporting the right to an abortion in the Yukon.
Yukon Liberal MLAs also updated Yukoners on important work including:
- Improvements to the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport, including reconstructing the main runway, installing improved lighting, and other vital upgrades to improve reliability and safety. Together with the Government of Canada, a total of $248 million is being invested in these upgrades.
- Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services has been using Patient Journey Mapping as part of its outreach efforts with Yukoners who use substances. Patient Journey Mapping, which tracks an individual’s heath care interactions, indicates the quality of a person’s journey and how the healthcare system can improve services to Yukoners. An increased understanding of how Yukoners access services from different departments, facilities and organizations is helping Yukon’s healthcare professionals develop a more seamless experience for people who use substances.
- The extraordinary efforts of the Yukon Emergency Measures team, Yukon First Nations Wildfire, contractors, municipal and First Nation governments, residents, neighbours and dedicated volunteers to respond to this past summer’s wildfires and flooding.
Today, Statistics Canada released their monthly unemployment numbers, showing that the Yukon continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in the country. The Yukon also has the strongest GDP growth in the country. The Liberal government is focused on ensuring all Yukoners benefit from the territory’s nation-leading economic growth.
Yukon Liberal MLAs also paid tribute to Learning Disabilities Month, Margaret Commodore’s 90th birthday, the award winning Yukon Living Heritage Campaign, Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, Yukoner Appreciation Week, National Skilled Trades and Technology Week, Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s Project Red Ribbon, and Team Yukon’s successes at the Canada Summer Games and the 55+ Canada Games this summer.
Find out more about our work in the Legislative Assembly and tune in here: https://yukonassembly.ca/
