Although the Yukon Party only garnered 40% of the vote, it has walked away with its third majority, thanks to vote-splitting between the NDP and Liberals.
But it wasn’t exactly a resounding victory.
The right-wing regime went into the election holding 11 of the territory’s 18 seats. It came out 31 days later with 11 of 19 seats and minus three cabinet ministers - Glenn Hart, Steve Nordick and Marian Horne.
Voters closest to the Peel watershed wanted nothing to do with Darrell Pasloski and his Yukon Party.
Residents of Mayo-Tatchun picked NDP Jim Tredger to go the legislature, the Vuntut Gwitchin returned Liberal Darius Elias, and Klondike voters turfed Economic Development Minister Steve Nordick, opting instead for Liberal school teacher Sandy Silver.
Protection of the Peel was a major issue. Mostly the public wanted to know if the parties would support the final recommended land use plan – a plan that’s been six years in the making and protects 80% of the watershed from industrial development.
Only the Yukon Party refused to commit to it.
First Pasloski said he couldn’t share his party’s position on the Peel because of an agreement signed with the Na-cho Nyak Dun, Tr’ondek Hwech’in, Vuntut Gwitchin and Gwich’in Tribal Council.
But those four First Nation leaders - who all support the plan - were quick to dispell that excuse.
“This is false,” they said in a full-page ad, chastising Pasloski for misleading the public and spelling out just what those agreements do say.
They also took exception to comments he made that they were irresponsible for going public with their Peel positions.
Taking a new tack, the Yukon Party then turned its guns on the potential cost of protecting the Peel. Compensating claim-holders could run into the millions, meaning Yukoners would go without other things, Pasloski said.
"The recent assertion by Premier Pasloski that implementing the plan would bankrupt the Yukon is misguided, verging on fear-mongering,” said the chiefs.
“The plan doesn’t call for expropriation of mining claims. It is also interesting to note that the Yukon Party government allowed the number of mining claims in the Peel to quintuple during the planning process.”
The final round of public consultations for the Peel land use plan are expected to begin within the next couple of months.
Once the new government is in place, one of its first orders of business should be to extend the current staking moratorium - due to expire in early February - for at least another year until the plan is finalized.
Related reading:
The Peel is not Windy Craggy (Yukon News, Oct. 7, 2011)
Parties pronouce promises on Peel, platform (Whitehorse Star, Oct. 6, 2011)
Pasloski pounded over Peel (Yukon News, Sept. 23, 2011)
ATIPP shows Yukon Party government ignored Peel public input
Environment ATIPP records on Peel consultation (Oct. 3, 2011)
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