Sincerely, Sandy Silver Leader, Yukon Liberal Party

Bruno Bourdache Executive Director/ Directeur général Volunteer Bénévoles Yukon (VBY)

March 31, 2021

Mr. Bourdache,

Please see our below responses to the questions you provided.

Many of these questions contain overlapping themes, and in those cases we have duplicated some responses.

Thank you for hosting your debate – we appreciate the opportunity to share our perspective on how integral the non-profit sector is to improving the wellbeing of Yukoners.

Sincerely,

Sandy Silver Leader, Yukon Liberal Party

Question 1 Non-government organizations carry out critical work that takes pressure off of governments and ensures a timely response to changing social and environmental conditions, at a fraction of a price that would be paid to government employees or contractors for similar results. NGOs depend on transfer payment agreements, which are usually unstable, short term and not guaranteed until a new fiscal year has begun. This undermines retention of staff and the ability to create long term programming to address long range issues. What will you do to ensure that NGOs have the financial means to continue to support Yukon Government in achieving its goals? We appreciate how challenging and uncertain one year funding arrangements can be. Wherever possible, we commit to working towards multi-year agreements for the non- profit sector.

Questions 2 and 3 a) If elected, what will you do to support the building and expansion of the social enterprise sector in the Yukon? b) Considering the confusion around the Lobbyist Act, the new regulations to disclose staff salaries under the new Societies Act, and new and difficult forms, can you explain how your party will support the nonprofit sector by reducing red tape and treating the sector as a respected part of the community? The Yukon Liberal party understands the value of the non-profit sector for Yukon. That’s why we updated the Societies Act. Yukoners now have some of the most modern societies legislation in the country. Directors of Yukon societies have clearer guidance, more autonomy and will need to do significantly less paperwork. This modern-day governance will help societies streamline administration and focus more on providing their quality programs and supports relied on and enjoyed by so many Yukoners. Under this new act, social enterprises are enabled and this is an area we very much support. There are now reporting guidelines for non-profit staff salaries, which seems to have created some confusion. These mirror what is in place for Yukon Government staff. A salary range will be reported in financial accounting and is intended for board members to understand where money is being spent. There is not a specific salary being reported – rather, it is a range – which is the same way Yukon Government reports salaries.

Question 4. The application process for Government of Yukon grants varies widely between grants. Some processes are simple while other grants require the non-profit to collect many details to complete their application. Many applications require non-profits to collect project-specific letters of support from all groups involved (including in-kind supporters) and request a minimum of two quotes for budget items of $2,000 and over. Unfortunately this means that non-profits need to ask community groups and individuals

to complete work for us prior to us knowing if we'll be successful at fundraising for the project. This is unnecessarily cumbersome, especially for small grants, which are often $5,000 or less. How would your government simplify and streamline the application processes for nonprofit grants to make them consistent across branches? It only makes sense to have applications for Yukon Government be consistent, especially as we go digital and modernize our systems. This is something we have been working on over the last four years. For example, Economic Development is amalgamating all of their funds into one. The new “Economic Development Fund” reduces red tape for clients by implementing a standardized application process, will provide equal access to support for clients, and will expand the range of eligible activities to include capital purchases and implementation activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we created a navigator position to help businesses and non profits navigate the different funds that were needed. If re-elected, we commit to establishing a non-profit navigator position, to help non- profits navigate what can be a complicated funding process. We will also continue to work on reducing red-tape through all Yukon Government policies and processes.

Questions 5 and 6 a) Given that the new regulations of the Societies Act will require a disclosure of staff salaries over $75,000, if elected will you implement a Sunshine list as is undertaken in Alberta and Ontario for with public service wages over $75,000? b) How will you alleviate the fiscal year end pressures that NGO's experience due to short term contracts and or arrangements with departments that are expending funds close to March 31st of any given year? (One recent example is an EOI for food services released by H&SS and due on March 23rd) Yukoners now have some of the most modern Societies legislation in the country. Directors of Yukon societies have clearer guidance, more autonomy and will need to do significantly less paperwork. This modern-day governance will help societies streamline administration and focus more on providing their quality programs and supports relied on and enjoyed by so many Yukoners. The new legislation will be simpler and more efficient to use with the updated Yukon Corporate Online Registry which now supports this legislation. There are now reporting guidelines for non-profit staff salaries, which seems to have created some confusion. These mirror what is in place for Yukon Government staff. The information will be reported in financial accounting and is meant to be there so directors understand where money is being spent. There is not a specific salary being reported – rather, it is a range – which is the same as how Yukon Government reports salaries. So – we would not commit to establishing a “sunshine list” at this time.

We have tried very hard to limit the occurrence of short-term funding at the end of March through more thorough budgeting. Unfortunately, it does still happen, though to a lesser degree. The solution really lies in continuing to improve our budgeting process so that departments don’t have money sitting around at the end of a fiscal year, which is absolutely a priority for us, if re-elected.

Questions 7 and 8 a) Almost 10 years ago, Nova Scotia and BC took the lead and created legislative frameworks that allow Social Enterprises to develop and operate on a level playing field with other enterprises, thus allowing those enterprises to develop their full creative and entrepreneurial potential for the benefit of the public and also allowing NGOs to operate social enterprises, which helps them move toward financial self-reliance and sustainability. Will you support the creation of a legal framework in which Yukon NGOs can do the same? b) As our ongoing COVID experience has shown us, the need for a well-supported NGO and service club sector is more critical than ever. In addition to financially supporting the development of a proposed NGO Hub, what specific supports would your Administration focus on in terms of meaningfully supporting this incredibly important and typically under-recognized economic sector? As Minister of Community Services, John Streicker has been very supportive of the idea of an NGO hub. It would allow you to share services and costs and it makes a lot of sense. In fact, he even nominated the team who was working on this project for an Arctic Inspiration Prize. If re-elected, we will continue to work on this important project. We are also supportive of the ideas identified in the White Paper for Yukon’s Social Recovery, prepared by the Yukon non-profit Advisory Council, and commit to providing $3 million over 3 years to assist with Yukon’s social recovery.

Question 9. NGO's and NPO's rely on the ability to fundraise. Many of these organisations run with limited capacity and staff. That being said, the current procedures in place to secure a charitable gaming license can be restrictive, time consuming and a drain on resources. This sometimes results in organisations forfeiting their application due to the complicated nature of the application process. Do you have plans to streamline, simplify and standardise this process so organisations are not burdened with the complexity of these applications and can spend more time fulfilling their mandate? Yes. Over the past 4 years, we have been working towards consolidating all gaming under one roof and work to make it more supportive and easier to navigate. If re- elected, that hard work will continue.

Question 10. During the Yukon Pride Centre's Community Conversations with the LGBTQIA2S+ community, healthcare navigation, mental health services and educational initiatives were identified as high priorities for our community members. Will your party commit to multiyear core funding for the Yukon Pride Centre and Queer Yukon Society to cover staff and programming costs for these types of initiatives? We have worked hard to support the LGBTQIA2S+ community over the past 4 years. Here is just some of what we have done to enhance the health services for members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community so far: - We expanded and enhanced the services available to transgender Yukoners in a big way. The Yukon became the first jurisdiction in Canada to provide health professionals with training at no cost from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, to ensure the healthcare available to transgender Yukoners is informed and compassionate. - We established a free counselling program specifically geared towards transgender Yukoners in partnership with All Genders Yukon Society and Ignite Counselling. This provides informed counselling services for transgender, two- spirit, non-binary individuals and their partners. - Most recently, we expanded Yukon’s healthcare to cover surgeries and other procedures essential to gender transition. The new policy is being recognized as the most comprehensive health coverage for gender-affirming care in North America. If re-elected, the Yukon Liberal Government will continue to prioritize the wellbeing of LGBTQ2S+ Yukoners.

We will work with Queer Yukon to make the Yukon Pride Centre a reality, which will provide a safe, welcoming and supportive gathering place for LGBTQ2S+ Yukoners, because we recognize that everyone deserves a space to feel comfortable and supported.

We began to provide core funding to Queer Yukon for the first time in 2020, and if re- elected, that important funding will continue.

Questions 11, 12 and 13 a) The Child Development Centre will be undergoing an independent organizational review to determine the best way to continue to meet the needs of children and families in the territory and allow us to eliminate long waiting lists. Will your party commit to funding the recommendations from the organizational review so that the Child Development Centre can continue to provide the services that children and families need, and not be limited by therapy time available? b) Historically, there

have been many instances where decisions are made by government and consultation occurs after the fact. How do you define collaboration and transparency? c) NGOs have been scrutinized in the past regarding perceived duplication of services. Meanwhile, Government continues to create programs and positions that are often already in place within NGOs. Will your party commit to understanding and supporting the work that NGOs are already doing rather than putting money into more government positions, and how will you accomplish this? The pandemic has hit women extra hard, across the world. That is one of the big reasons why we have put forward such a strong early learning childcare program. By subsidizing each childcare space by $700 dollars each month, we are saving families thousands of dollars each year. A family with 2 kids in childcare will go from paying approximately $20,000 per year, to paying approximately $3000 per year. It will change lives, and empower women to go back into the workforce, if they so choose. We aren’t able to commit to implementing recommendations from an organizational review that we haven’t seen, but are more than happy to work with the Child Development Centre to support them in addressing an increased demand for services.

Questions 14, 15 and 16 a) How does Your Party plan to address and reduce the disproportionately high rates of gender-based violence in the territory? b) Women are disproportionately represented in Yukon’s poverty statistics. What does your party propose as a living wage in the territory? c) How does Your Party plan to include sex workers in your covid recovery plan? As stated above, the pandemic has hit women extra hard, across the world. That is one of the big reasons why we have put forward such a strong early learning childcare program. By subsidizing each childcare space by $700 dollars each month, we are saving families thousands of dollars each year. A family with 2 kids in childcare will go from paying approximately $20,000 per year, to paying approximately $3000 per year. It will change lives, and empower women to go back into the workforce, if they so choose. If re-elected, we will expand two very important programs: The Sexualized Assault Response Team (SART) program and our Community Safety Program. Both directly help address gender-based violence. SART is a support program for women who have experienced sexualized assault, allowing them to access services from a number of different areas with a wrap- around approach. The expansion of the Community Safety Program into a permanent fund will provide a community safety-based approach which will help decrease the occurrence of gender-based violence in the first place.

Questions 17, 18 and 19 a) Do you think the services provided by NGOs bring value to our society and what plans does your party have in place to improve our situation? b) Yukon Agricultural Association (YAA) has done a wage comparison for ED and we fall short of being able to compete for qualified individuals. YAA needs to be able to provide a fair wage to compete with government positions that draws applicants away from us. Agricultural growth throughout the Territory requires YAA to expand its reach into the communities, requiring additional staffing and resources. What will your government do to ensure that Yukon farmers have an association that can adequately support the- growth of their industry? What will your government do to ensure that Yukon farmers have an association that can adequately support the growth of their industry?

We absolutely value and understand the importance of the non-profit sector. If re- elected we will enhance opportunities for collaboration, shared services and wellness as we move through the pandemic, by supporting the proposals suggested in the White Paper.

The Yukon’s agricultural sector is growing at an incredible pace. There is also a growing demand for locally grown food. To further support the industry, we are committed to establishing an internal Yukon government team that works to maximize local food purchases through procurement.

We are also committed to making more land available for agriculture. Our team will also work with the Yukon’s livestock producers to support the significant increase in demand for Yukon meat products.

If re-elected, we will modernize current legislation to allow commercial agriculture to flourish and work with the Yukon Agricultural Association to ensure that they have the resources they need to support this growing sector.

Question 20, 21, 22 and 23 a) What does each candidate think of the role we play as NGO's in our community? b) What's your proposal to make it easier for us to secure resources to continue to serve our community without much struggle? c) What network in place, including funding, to help us achieve our goals as NGO's? d) What are your plans to improve support services for families and how can we engage together to make it happen?

Paper, including securing $3 million in funding over 3 years to support Yukon’s social recovery.

Question 24 The last year has seen a dramatic increase in the Yukon in demand for service of all kinds - health, social services, mental health, financial support, food banks, housing etc. Providers range from government (federal, territorial, first nation and municipal) to non-profits and private companies. It is complicated for people to find out where to go, who to call, or what website to visit. What would your party to do to help people find the help they need. It's true – there are a huge variety of services and service providers out there. Yukon Government’s website, Yukon.ca, has been constantly updated throughout the COVID- 19 pandemic. We would love to hear from you, the non-profit sector, on what sort of format would work better for you to ensure that Yukoners can find the help they need more easily.

Question 25 NGOs have been scrutinized in the past regarding perceived duplication of services. Meanwhile, Government continues to create programs and positions that are often already in place within NGOs. Will your party commit to understanding and supporting the work that NGOs are already doing rather than putting money into more government positions, and how will you accomplish this?

We understand the role that NGOs play as service providers, and we have worked hard to expand the opportunities for the non-profit sector to provide services. A good example of this is our transfer of the operation of the Housing First residence to the partnership between John Howard Society and CYFN. This was a great opportunity for collaboration, and we are committed to continuing to create those opportunities for the non-profit sector.

Additional questions provided after the debate:

1. It appears that government relies too much on social innovation, that is, on market forces, as a source of funding for NGOs. Since the social innovation approach is not working well under COVID-19, what will your government do to ensure Yukon NGOs are sufficiently funded?

In comparison to other jurisdictions, Yukon’s economy has fared extremely well in comparison to the rest of Canada during the COVID-19. We are one of only two jurisdictions that saw growth in 2020.

Throughout the pandemic, we worked hard to make sure that the non-profit sector was supported. Programs such as the cancelled event program were accessible to those impacted. We worked with our departments to ensure that things like funding and transfer payment agreements would proceed, sometime ahead of schedule, to make sure that the non-profit sector could make ends meet and were sufficiently funded.

Today, we kept that support going as we expressed our commitment of $3 million over 3 years to assist with Yukon’s social recovery.

2. Will the Yukon Party drop the reporting requirement for NGO's to report staff with wages of $75,000? Will the Yukon Party provide core funding for NGOs?

N/A as this was directed to the Yukon Party.

3. When Candidates think of Gender violence, it's often in relation to women, specifically cis-women. However trans men, trans women and non-binary people are also impacted by gender based violence. How would you address that issue specifically for this community?

We have worked hard to improve supports for trans Yukoners. Over the past 4 years we have: o Provided health professionals with training at no cost from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, to ensure the healthcare available to transgender Yukoners is informed and compassionate. The Yukon became the first jurisdiction in Canada to do so. o We established a free counselling program specifically geared towards transgender Yukoners in partnership with All Genders Yukon Society and Ignite Counselling. This provides informed counselling services for transgender, two-spirit, non-binary individuals and their partners. o Most recently, we expanded Yukon’s healthcare to cover surgeries and other procedures essential to gender transition. The new policy is being recognized as the most comprehensive health coverage for gender- affirming care in North America.

These are all part of a larger systemic shift towards making Yukon the most inclusive place to live in Canada. If re-elected, we will continue that shift, in particular through supporting the establishment of a Yukon Pride Centre.

4. What does your party plan to do to prevent gender based violence? Would you develop a Sexual Health Education Strategy to streamline the work that’s being done so it’s more consolidated and effective?

As stated above, the pandemic has hit women extra hard, across the world. That is one of the big reasons why we have put forward such a strong early learning childcare program. By subsidizing each childcare space by $700 dollars each month, we are saving families thousands of dollars each year. A family with 2 kids in childcare will go from paying approximately $20,000 per year, to paying approximately $3000 per year. It will change lives, and empower women to go back into the workforce, if they so choose. If re-elected, we will expand two very important programs: the Sexualized Assault Response Team (SART) program and our Community Safety Program. Both directly help address gender based violence – one, a support program for women who have experienced sexualized assault, allowing them to access services from a number of different areas, and the other, a community safety based approach which will help decrease the occurrence of gender-based violence in the first place. We would be happy to stakeholders to hear more about how a sexual health education strategy could improve education efforts in the Yukon.

5. What will your party do to ensure that YG bureaucracy implements a "getting out of the way" policy and that the NGO sector is encouraged and funded to do its work?

We understand the role that NGOs play as service providers, and we have worked hard to expand the opportunities for the non-profit sector to provide those services. A good example of this is how we transferred the operation of the Housing First residence to the John Howard Society, and CYFN. This was a great opportunity for collaboration, and we are committed to continuing to create those opportunities for the non-profit sector.

6. In relation to Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the Yukon, there are a number of structural/systemic aspects that government can address. For example, the MMIWG Final Report clearly indicates that mining activity is hazardous for

Indigenous folks as it is directly linked to increased GBV. Yet Yukon government continues to endorse mining projects without the means to properly mitigate social impacts such as GBV. How, then, do you plan to promote a more coherent governmental approach such that you aren’t simultaneously endorsing frameworks that are fundamentally contradictory?

We were very proud to become the first jurisdiction in Canada to release a response to the MMIWG Final Report. Our report, Changing the Story to Upholding Justice and Dignity, Yukon’s MMIWG2S+ Strategy, sets significant goals for how we can move forward in a way that is holistic and recognizes the challenges we face as a society. It is about getting all stakeholders to the table, to understand different perspectives.

7. How will your government support collaboration between NGO and Government?

We absolutely value and understand the importance of the non- profit sector. If re- elected we will enhance opportunities for collaboration, shared services and wellness as we move through the pandemic, by supporting the proposals suggested in the White Paper.

If re-elected, we commit to establishing a non-profit navigator position, to help non- profits navigate what can be a complicated funding process. We will also continue to work on reducing red-tape through all Yukon Government policies and processes.

8. How do you support Food Security across the communities and how do you define "Food Hub"

Food security is something that is very important to us as northerners. The COVID-19 pandemic has only reinforced how important it is to increase the amount of food produced locally. If re-elected, we will work hard to address concerns around food security. We commit to immediately establishing an internal Yukon Government task force that will work to maximize local food purchases through government procurement. Understanding that we are seeing tremendous growth in agriculture sector, it is now prudent for the Yukon Government to modernize current legislative framework such as the Public Health and Safety Act in order to allow commercial level agriculture to flourish. This task force will also review current legislation and policies, and follow up

with informed recommendations on how the government can help bolster the Yukon’s agriculture sector. We are also going to work with the Yukon Agriculture Association to make sure they have the proper resources to champion this industry and advocate for the right to farm. We will identify, develop and release land parcels suitable for agriculture, and we will work closely with the Yukon’s livestock producers to support the significant increase in demand for Yukon meat products.

9. During the Yukon Pride Centre's Community Conversations with the LGBTQIA2S+ community, healthcare navigation, mental health services and educational initiatives were identified as high priorities for our community members. Will your party commit to multi-year core funding for the Yukon Pride Centre and Queer Yukon Society to cover staff and programming costs for these types of initiatives?

N/A – Duplicate question to number 10 above.

10. NGOs cannot compete with governments in terms of wages/benefits etc., which means that NGO staff members, once they have been trained and gained experience, tend to migrate away to government jobs. This means that the NGO sector is an unpaid training ground for governments, and its organisations suffer from high turnover and have to operate in constant recovery mode. What will your government do to right this situation?(For example, provide eligible NGOs with HR development funding?)

As stated above, we are supportive of the ideas identified in the White Paper for Yukon’s Social Recovery, prepared by the Yukon non-profit Advisory Council, and commit to providing $3 million over 3 years to assist with Yukon’s social recovery. We are also supportive of the concept of an NGO hub, which would provide shared services and assist with some of the issues addressed in this question.