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WHITEHORSE – On March 25, the Yukon Legislative Assembly unanimously passed two Yukon Party Caucus motions in support of Yukon firearms owners, and timber harvesters and consumers.
Motion No. 54 in support of firearms owners was introduced by Southern Lakes MLA Tyler Porter and reads as follows:
THAT this House urges the Government of Canada to acknowledge the unique northern context by establishing a carve-out exempting the three territories from the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program and related prohibitions.
Motion No. 56 to urge Ottawa to increase resources for federal regulatory bodies to approve access to logs used for fuelwood and log home construction was introduced by Watson Lake-Ross River-Faro MLA Patti McLeod.
THAT this House urges the Government of Canada to urgently increase resources for the Yukon Environmental Socio-economic Assessment Board to address the current backlog of projects, including timber harvesting plans for providing access to firewood and for log home construction before the summer season.
The first motion (No. 54) passed unanimously with support from all Yukon Party MLAs and the MLA from Vuntut Gwitchin; all NDP MLAs abstained from voting on Motion No. 54. The second motion (No. 56) also passed unanimously.
“Law-abiding Yukoners are responsible, vetted and trained in the safe use of firearms and have been treated like criminals by Ottawa for simply owning a gun,” said MLA Porter. “This motion signals to the federal government that the territories should be exempt from Ottawa’s misguided firearm confiscation program because it fails to recognize the realities of our northern way of life. They should consider consulting with the territories on this important issue.”
“I have heard from constituents and many other Yukoners who are frustrated from being unable to access fuelwood from harvesters to heat their homes during the cold winter months,” said MLA McLeod. “A huge barrier to providing dependable fuelwood is access to timber. That access is impeded by backlogs at the under-resourced Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board. The federal government is responsible for ensuring this board is adequately resourced for the sake of Yukoners who rely on these important wood products.”
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