Colour Final

2016%Territorial%Elec0on% %Environment%Ques0onnaire% % CPAWS Yukon and the Yukon Conservation Society have collaborated on a set of nine nonpartisan environmentally themed questions that were posed to all territorial parties in advance of the 2016 election. You will find both the questions and the parties’ unaltered answers enclosed. A process for regional land use planning in the Yukon was laid out in the Umbrella Final Agreement, but to date, only the North Yukon Land Use Plan has been completed. How would your party get regional land use planning back on track? Without fully accounting for We believe that a critical The Yukon NDP was the only Since the first four Land and respecting the values of missing ingredient in the land party to endorse the Final Claim Agreements were Yukon's natural systems and use planning process is trust. Recommended Peel Plan. We signed in 1993, the Yukon resources - monetarily, A Liberal government would will end the Peel conflict and Party is the only government socially and historically - the respect the Land Use work with Yukon First to achieve a regional land use most sustainable and efficient Planning process established Nations to implement the plan (RLUP), the North use of land within a planning in the Treaties and accept the final plan. The Yukon NDP Yukon RLUP in 2009, in area is often overlooked. The final report of the original will fulfill the commitments collaboration with the Vuntut Yukon Green Party is Peel Land Use Planning set out in the UFA as well as Gwitchin First Nation. In committed to immediately Commission. We believe the work with First Nation view of the dispute over the commencing planning in all process laid out in the U.F.A. Governments who have not Peel RLUP, on December 1, areas of Yukon. We would is sound and must be signed final agreements. We 2014, both the Trondek restore and enhance public implemented. The current also commit to work with all Hwech'in and Vuntut and First Nations government Yukon government and its stakeholders to develop a Gwitchin First Nations control over resource use, refusal to respect the process process to expedite the mutually agreed to suspend development and the is the sole reason land use completion of land use plans the Dawson RLU planning protection of ecosystems. The planning has gone off track. in Yukon. process and to look for clarity completion of planning would A Liberal government will get before continuing with the encompass full disclosure of out of the courts and work The Yukon NDP recognizes planning process in the all resources and would with First Nations to see the that land use planning is Dawson region. We will include consensus-based Peel and all other land use essential to a healthy await the ruling by the agreements for use, based on plans move forward. Land use economy and environment. Supreme Court of Canada the most sustainable use of planning will be a major before proceeding with resources within a given priority of our Liberal further regional land use planning area. Government. planning. While mining brings revenue into the Yukon, it also has negative impacts on the land and wildlife, and can result in major clean up and maintenance costs when mines are abandoned. How would your party improve mining in the Yukon to minimize environmental harm? The Yukon Green Party Yukon Liberals recognize the The Yukon NDP supports The Yukon Party government would minimize contribution of the mining mining. We echo Yukoners’ initiated two major mining environmental impacts from industry and believe it will be expectation that mining and environmental mining by: ~ continuing to an important part of our companies play by the rules, improvements: the Mine fund academic geology, data economy for many years to employ Yukoners, benefit Licensing Improvement collection and continual come. Full implementation of Yukon businesses, and clean Initiative (MLII) and the progression and development existing mining regulations up when they are done. It is Mineral Development of best mining practices ~ and environmental government’s job to ensure Strategy (MDS). MLII favouring small mines over assessments will go a long that mining is done in an examines policies governing large, and long term way towards protecting environmentally sustainable closures and security extraction over short ~ Yukon's environment from manner. We will respect the payments required for site adopting a 'Best Practices' undue harm. We believe that recommendations of clean up if companies are certification process to ensure mining and development in environmental assessment unable to complete individuals and companies are general must be balanced bodies like YESAB and the reclamation themselves. able to reduce negative with strong environmental Yukon Water Board. We Closure plans are reviewed impacts, which would stewardship. We do not believe the Yukon has a and security payments are include, among other things, support the practice of the strong environmental recalculated every two years. that no permits are issued to current Government of protection regime that is not MDS guides the long-term plans involving tailings ponds Yukon, which allowed being used to its full development of the mining and instead favour dry companies to delay the potential. We will develop a industry and covers stacking ~ rewarding the payment of required security wetlands policy and conduct environmental stewardship, entrepreneurial spirit and bonds. Security deposits land use planning to clarify regulatory streamlining, respect for nature that many where necessary will be land use purposes. We will business climate, small scale miners have required when permits are separate environmental infrastructure and workforce through voluntary adherence issued and will be sufficient oversight from mining training. Both MLII and MDS to the 'Best Practices' to cover the company's promotion within the have full First Nation, Water certification process. obligations. Government of Yukon. Board, YESAB and industry engagement. What is your party’s position on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and conventional oil and gas development in the Yukon? Our policy, which is available A Liberal government The Yukon NDP will We believe in responsible at yukongreenparty.ca, clearly believes that sustainable permanently ban hydraulic resource development and states: energy is the path forward for fracturing. An NDP that oil and gas can play an the Yukon. We would place Government will not important role in growing and 1. Place a permanent an immediate moratorium on subsidize conventional oil and diversifying our economy. moratorium on coal bed fracking in Yukon and a gas development. The onus is While we are open to methane projects and shale Liberal government would on the oil and gas proponent responsible shale gas bed gas exploration and not any issue permits for to develop an independent development, we would only production - ban fracking. fracking. We are supportive of business case, successfully allow this activity to occur in 2. Institute a moratorium on the collaborative land use raise the necessary capital and the Liard basin where natural oil and gas exploration. planning process, and meet the high standards gas development has occurred 3. Enact a moratorium on therefore would permit necessary to pass through for decades. We believe that pipelines to, from and conventional oil and gas YESAB, get a water license any shale gas development through Yukon. development in Eagle Plains and satisfy all other socio- activity must have the 4. Phase out imports of oil, in conjunction with the economic and environmental support of affected First gas and fossil fuels in general Vuntut Gwitchin First assessment requirements. Nations. We will continue to and replace them with Nation. We would also The Yukon NDP is clear that implement the Oil & Gas renewable energy. continue the moratorium on renewable energy is the Action Plan that includes 5. Invest in renewable energy oil and gas development in future for Yukon both in expanding groundwater and energy efficiency that the Whitehorse Trough. We terms of meeting our climate monitoring and seismic data, shifts Yukon to a will put programs in place to commitments, providing seeking expert advice to decarbonized economy. transition the Yukon towards clean energy and creating confirm that baseline a post-carbon future. employment opportunities for information is adequate, and Yukon. ensuring that regulatory processes will protect human health and the environment. Yukon political leaders were in Paris last year for the UN conference, where Canada and the world agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit global warming to 1.5-2°C and avoid catastrophic climate change impacts. How would your party make the Yukon a leader in achieving this goal? By adopting any one of the The Government of Canada The Yukon NDP believes that The Yukon Party takes many great policies in our has indicated it will introduce climate change is the biggest climate change seriously and platform, available at a price on carbon by 2018. challenge facing the Yukon, will build on our record of yukongreenparty.ca, the Like all Canadians, we want and that the solution lies in taking significant action to Yukon could become a to do our part. We would renewable energy. make Yukon a leader in glittering example of climate work respectfully with climate change adaptation, change action and adaptation. Canada to implement that It will allow us to transition mitigation and scientific Greens would start by national plan, while ensuring away from fossil fuels and research. We do however, implementing a revenue that any revenue is rebated create good paying, oppose Ottawa’s plan to neutral or fee and dividend back to Yukoners. sustainable jobs. Yukon impose a carbon tax on carbon tax of $30/tonne and We will accurately measure Government capital projects Yukoners because it will do increase that by $10/tonne emissions and make sure this will come with expectation very little to reduce emissions per year.

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