Putting People First and Our Clean Future Implementation Committees share updates

February 7, 2022

Whitehorse, YT – Reports detailing the work of the Putting People First and Our Clean Future Implementation Committees are now publicly available.

These reports are a requirement of the 2021 Confidence and Supply Agreement between the Yukon Liberal Caucus and the Yukon NDP Caucus. The agreement states:

Section 3.2 Joint Policy Implementation

Policy Implementation Committees and Panels

Within one month of the swearing-in of a Yukon Liberal Government, two policy implementation committees shall launch. The committees will be comprised of the appropriate Cabinet Minister and a Yukon NDP MLA to work jointly with the civil service to finalize implementation of the Our Clean Future and Putting People First reports. The committees will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the recommendations and will report progress to the public every six months.

These committees have met regularly since being established in June 2021.

The Putting People First Implementation Committee is comprised of Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee and MLA Annie Blake. The work has been focused on the opening of the Yukon’s first supervised consumption site and the provision of an expanded safe supply of opioids for Yukoners. The ongoing focus of this committee is the continued implementation of the recommendations in the Putting People First report.

The Our Clean Future committee is comprised of Minister Nils Clarke and MLA Emily Tredger. Minister John Streicker participates as an observer as the work involving Our Clean Future is also in the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources’ mandate. To date the work has focused on establishing the Yukon Climate Leadership Council. Now that the council is established, the committee will focus on the continued implementation of actions outlined in the Yukon’s Our Clean Future document.                                                                         

Quotes:

The Yukon government began implementing the Our Clean Future and Putting People First plans in 2020 and they continue to guide our efforts moving forward. We look forward to continuing these valuable conversations with the Yukon NDP as the important work on these initiatives progresses.

• Nils Clarke, Minister of Environment and Highway and Public Works

Everyone in this territory deserves equal access to healthcare, and to see our environment protected for generations to come. Putting People First and Our Clean Future represent the government’s commitments to Yukoners. The government must follow through on these recommendations.

• Annie Blake, MLA Vuntut Gwitchin

Quick facts

• The Confidence and Supply Agreement (CASA) was signed on April 28, 2021. The agreement is between the Liberals and the NDP and lays out 16 policy initiatives that the parties will work towards. The agreement is in effect until January 31, 2023.