Parties start rolling out promises as Yukon election campaign ramps up

After a weekend mostly spent putting up signs, Yukon's three main political parties started the campaign's first full week with announcements. Here, in random order, iswhat the parties were up to Monday.

NDP

Leader Kate White called on the Liberals and Conservatives to turn down corporate and union donations and urge their would-be donors to give that money to the Whitehorse Food Bank instead.

"I think almost every Yukoner would agree that this money is better spent feeding hungry folks than influencing political leadership," she said.

White said the NDP recently turned down several donations from businesses, including one from a mining company that ended up sending the money to the Canadian Mental Health Association. She would not say which businesses offered her party donations or how much money was involved.

White said an NDP government would ban corporate and union donations and put a cap on individual donations.

Yukon Party

The Yukon Party rolled out a suite of proposals aimed at helping businesses get through the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the promises: clear benchmarks for easing pandemic restrictions, simplifying and expanding relief programs for businessand extending the existing 25 per cent wholesale discount on alcohol for one year.

Leader Currie Dixon also announced a Yukon Party government would issue a bid for Whitehorse to host the 2027 Canada Winter Games as a way to boost tourism.

"While this may seem a way off, it is planning like this that will give Yukoners certainty that a Yukon Party government is not only looking at today, but we were looking at the future," Dixon said.

Liberal Party

The Liberals issued reminders of sorts, touting policies their government has adopted in support ofLGBTQ people.

That includes more health care services for Transgender people, changes to make it easier for Trans people to have their true gender on government documents and expanded legal protections for LGBTQ people.

"We're told that over the past four years, our substantialchanges have not only changed lives,they have saved lives," said Tracy-Anne McPhee, the Liberal candidate in Riverdale South.

McPhee, who served as justice minister in the Liberal government, said with a second term the party would fund a Yukon Pride Centre and update the Vital Statistics Act so it doesn't discriminate on the basis ofgender identity or marital status.