Yukon Chamber of Commerce echoes Liberal leader's concerns about economy

The Yukon Chamber of Commerce is supporting recentcomments made by Yukon Liberal leader Sandy Silver, saying Silver was right to raise concerns about Yukon's private sector.

In the legislature this week, the Liberal leadercriticized the Yukon Party government for braggingof"growing the Yukon economy,"while the number of private sector jobs in the territory has shrunk.

"The Yukon Chamber appreciates the Liberal Leader highlighting the plight of declining private sector employment in the Yukon," the chamber saysin a statement released Friday.

The chamber says a strong Yukon economy over the long term is "absolutely dependent" on a growing private sector.

It also points to problems with the Yukon Environmental andSocio-Economic Assessment Board (YESAB),as contributing to the territory'seconomic woes.

"We have signalledour concern that against a difficult economic background, assessment decisions and regulatory hurdles that sometimes go too far, will be very damaging of the Yukon economy as a whole."

Rich Thompson, chair of the chamber, says "troubling moves by YESAB" have included "non-decisions and delays related to important projects."

He added that the statement was not an endorsement of Silver, nor the Yukon Liberal Party.

"This is something we've been saying for quite some time," Thompson said. "We would welcome this kind of commentary from anybody."