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WHITEHORSE – The Yukon Party Official Opposition is pleased to learn that the Yukon Government has increased the number of RCMP positions following a surge of criminal activity in Whitehorse. Over the past several years, the Yukon Party has repeatedly called for the government to take the rising crime rate in the Yukon seriously and to provide more resources to the RCMP.
In October 2023, the Yukon Party proposed a motion in the Yukon Legislative Assembly calling for increased resources and funding for the RCMP. Both the City of Whitehorse and the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce have called for more action to address the surge in crime.
“It should not have taken this long for the territorial Liberal government to provide these resources to address the surge in criminal activity in the territory, but it’s better late than never,” said Brad Cathers, Yukon Party Justice Critic.
While the Yukon Party Official Opposition is pleased with some aspects of the Government’s announcement, we are concerned that the Liberals are still unfairly pointing fingers at the City of Whitehorse. The Liberal premier continues to blame the Mayor of Whitehorse for not doing enough to address crime, even though that is clearly a responsibility of the territorial Liberal government.
“The premier should spend more time focusing on finding solutions to the problems created by his government’s inattention to rising crime, and less time pointing fingers at the City of Whitehorse,” added Cathers. “The Liberal premier is quick to criticize the City but, notably, he has refused to criticize his federal counterparts in Ottawa, whose catch-and-release bail system and soft-on-crime legislation have contributed to the current crime wave.”
The announcement of increased resources for the RCMP also points to a growing tension within the Yukon Liberal-NDP coalition. Last year, the Yukon NDP voted against a Yukon Party motion to increase funding for the RCMP, and their 2021 platform alluded to defunding the police. The 2023 Confidence and Supply Agreement signed by Ranj Pillai and Kate White commits the Liberal Government to consult with the NDP before making significant announcements like this, but it remains to be seen if that happened in this case or if the Yukon NDP supports this announcement.
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Contact:
Tim Kucharuk
Media Director
(867) 689-7874
