YUKON LIBERAL PARTY RESPONSE

We, as Yukon First Nation leaders, have a responsibility to our Citizens when it comes to territorial elections. We believe it is of utmost importance that our Citizens have answers to questions that are relevant to us, as First Nations, to make an informed decision.

We take great interest in the territorial election. Our relationship with the territorial government spans many generations and has weathered many difficult moments. Our relationship is now one of equals since we are governments.

In light if the upcoming elections, we would like to have your views, as the leader of your Party, on the questions below. We want our Citizens to make an informed decision when they go to the polls. We will make your answers public through different channels including local media. Please make your answers as succinct as possible. We thank you in advance for taking the time to answer these questions

1. In concrete examples, please explain how you would work with self-governing Yukon First Nations to implement our Final and Self-Government Agreements to improve the quality of life of all Yukoners.

The Yukon Liberal Party strongly believes that the Yukon Government’s relationship with First Nations is its most important relationship. Yukon First Nations are integral partners in creating an economy that provides good jobs and preserves the land, water, air, and animals for Yukon people. We believe that a renewed approach to our First Nations relationships is needed. Our Final and Self-Government Agreements, and those agreements with self-governing First Nations, are the map for the way forward for all Yukoners, not just First Nations people.

The Yukon Liberal Party’s commitment to First Nations is informed by the knowledge that treaties and self- governing agreements are instruments for collaborative nation building, environmental protection, sustainable economic growth – and most importantly, reconciliation. This relationship is to the benefit of all Yukoners; economic development and social progress cannot occur if we constantly battle with our own people.

Because implementation is an ongoing process that requires sustained, productive partnerships, we will start by supporting the federal government’s repeal of the contentious elements of Bill S-6 pertaining to the amendments of the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Act. Yukoners can also expect us to respect the land use planning process established in our modern treaties, starting by accepting the final report of the original Peel Watershed Planning Commission. Our respect for this process will be ongoing; Yukon economic development and growth cannot occur without certainty. Further concrete examples of how we will work to improve the quality of life for Yukoners include: • supporting First Nations which have commenced negotiations for the administration of justice, pursuant to their Self-Government Agreements; • assisting First Nations in establishing land registries; and • promoting the spirit and intent of our modern treaties, by upholding the honour of the Crown and working with First Nations to identify and resolve roadblocks

A Liberal Cabinet will meet with Yukon First Nations, government-to-governments, within the first 30 days of its mandate, to work with all First Nations to establish shared priorities for Yukoners over the course of our mandate and beyond. We will evaluate our progress, in part, through the Yukon Forum, which we will hold up to four times per year, as originally intended. These meetings will also serve as a forum for important conversations on challenging issues. We as Yukoners cannot have progress on issues such as land use, environmental protection, social services and programs, and economic development if we constantly fight our partners at every turn.

We will also support our First Nations governments in bilateral initiatives they have undertaken with the Government of Canada. Our First Nations have been successful in proposing innovative and unique approaches to economic development, services, and programs that can benefit all Yukoners. These must be supported.

Yukoners and Yukon First Nations can expect us to move forward with implementation to bring our relations with self-governing First Nations and those with Final and Self-Government Agreements into the 21st Century. These agreements were meant to build a progressive relationship between the Yukon Government and First Nations to benefit all Yukoners.

2. In the event that there is a difference of opinion between the three parties regarding the interpretation and implementation of the Yukon First Nation Final Agreements, how would you propose to resolve such issues without resorting to litigation?

We may not always see eye-to-eye on the interpretation and preferred approach to implementing our Final Agreements. These agreements were made knowing this, and purposefully built in mechanisms to resolve roadblocks and identify concerns. We do not believe litigation is the way to resolve these challenges. We should not be using Yukoners’ finances to take our own people to court. Litigation may answer a question, but in the process it does not resolve our broader challenges – it exacerbates them.

A key part of resolving issues without litigation is respect. Respect for First Nations, both those with agreements and those self-governing First Nations – and respect for differing opinions. We do not believe that partisanship is the way forward either. No party has a monopoly on good ideas and in the event that we diverge on issues, we will bring them to the table to find common ground and shared solutions.

This respect is why we have committed to the Yukon Forum, to government-to-governments relationships, and to meeting bilaterally with First Nations chiefs as requested. A productive, reciprocal relationship is one part of ensuring that differences do not lead to litigation in the first place.

Ultimately, we put our faith in our Final Agreements to resolve our differences, as was their intent. Implementation is an ongoing process and we could not have foreseen all our challenges when we forged our original agreements. Litigation though, is not the answer, which is why our Government will drop its challenges to our First Nations and work to resolve issues, respect process, and respect people.

3. Yukon First Nation governments and their businesses contribute substantially to the Yukon economy and provide many jobs for Yukoners. Please provide concrete examples of how your government will work with Yukon First Nations to grow and expand the Yukon economy.

The Yukon Liberal Party has a deep appreciation for the contribution First Nations governments and businesses to the Yukon economy. Our team has drawn widely from the territory’s wealth of First Nations governments and businesses. As mentioned, we cannot work with Yukon First Nations if we constantly resort to litigation. We will start by ending these contentious challenges.

We will also work with First Nations to establish priorities and support bilateral initiatives that First Nations governments undertake with the Government of Canada. This is also why we will assist respective First Nations in establishing land registries, so that First Nations can protect property and real estate interests and pursue economic and residential development.

The land use process is another significant method to grow and expand the Yukon economy. The Peel Watershed Commission could have been a successful example of working with First Nations, but this was not the case. If elected, we will accept the original recommendations of the Commission as an overt demonstration of our commitment to the land use process. Governments, industries, and business cannot invest and will not invest in a jurisdiction plagued by uncertainty and animosity. We need to create a stable investment environment by respecting environmental processes and review. This also means working with First Nations and communities so that investors and industries can effectively evaluate the rewards of doing business in Yukon.

Within specific sectors, our government will also work with First Nations, the Yukon College, the private sector, and other stakeholders to develop a plan to foster innovation. Where First Nations are interested in pursuing resource development opportunities, such as in mining, exploration, or forestry, we will do what we can to support them and promote collaborative planning and investment between governments and industry. We also believe that there is strong potential in promoting First Nations culture and heritage within Canada and internationally and wish to work with First Nations and First Nations businesses to explore these opportunities.

As part of our commitment to building a modern, clean economy, we would also partner with First Nations to pursue renewable energy initiatives, should such opportunities arise. The Department of Economic Development and the Yukon Development Corporation are key components we can use to strengthen community-based entrepreneurial opportunities.

Finally, education is a priority for the Yukon Liberal Party. We need to ensure our people are being prepared with the right training and tools to succeed in the workforce. In doing so, we will partner with First Nations governments to develop training, education, and literacy programs to reduce socio-economic disparities, particularly between the communities and Whitehorse. Long-term, if we are not supporting our children and youth in their development, our economy will struggle to succeed.

4. Yukon First Nations retained about 10 percent of the lands of their traditional territories in exchange for, among other matters, the right to be involved in the management of lands and resources within their traditional territories. Please give concrete examples of how your government will work collaboratively with Yukon First Nations to manage lands and resources.

The Yukon Liberal Party believes that Final and Self-Government Agreements, and our agreements with self- governing First Nations, are roadmaps for the stewardship and management of our lands and resources. Collaboration, if weak, can chase away investment and reduce economic opportunities. We must use the provisions enshrined within these agreements to pursue our collective vision for Yukon.

As a Liberal Government begins its mandate, we will also renew the territorial government’s relationship with First Nations. Much of our management of lands and resources relies on open communication and continual dialogue. We have committed to meeting bilaterally, Chief to Premier, as requested. We have committed to regularizing the Yukon Forum and establishing a shared agenda to use it as a means to discuss difficult questions and plan the way forward in lands, resources, services, and development. Our government will be a responsive one.

In working collaboratively, we must also respect the land use process and ensure that the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board has the tools and resources it needs to conduct comprehensive environmental assessments and reviews. This will help create certainty within the management of lands and resources for governments, businesses, and investors. Should our First Nations wish to pursue opportunities in land and resource management, we will do what we can to work collaboratively in exploring them and assist in negotiating favourable impact and benefit agreements.

As mentioned above, we will also assist First Nations in establishing land registries, so that First Nations can protect property and real estate interests and explore opportunities related to commercial, residential, and industrial development. This also means supporting First Nations in building their governance capacity and their capacity for land use planning, zoning, and disposition. To build upon our stewardship of the environment, our Government would work with First Nations and stakeholders to introduce a Species at Risk Act for the territory. We believe it is not just about the current management of lands and resources, but about ensuring its availability for future generations.

5. Please explain how your government would work with Yukon First Nations to improve the delivery and management of programs and services to Yukoners throughout the territory. How would your government create more effective and efficient programs and services to build stronger and healthier communities?

The Yukon Liberal Party recognizes the need to work collectively with First Nations to evaluate our services and programs and establish a way forward for the shared jurisdiction of many programs and services. The Yukon Government does not always need to be in the centre of service and program provision in the Yukon either. Our Final and Self-Government Agreements and our agreements with self-governing First Nations have provided us with the tools we need to create effective and efficient programs and services.

While this might not always mean the devolution of services and programs to First Nations, are willing to support those First Nations interested in devolving them under the provisions of their Final and Self- Government Agreements and agreements with self-governing First Nations. We will actively resolve the barriers that have prevented our First Nations from downloading certain programs and/or services and modernize their provision and management. These barriers can be financial, bureaucratic, or systemic, but we are committed to resolving them in a timely and collaborative manner. We should not frustrate our First Nations who seek to implement their own agreements.

Importantly, we must also build upon the capacity of our First Nations so that they are able to evaluate, negotiate, and devolve the programs and services they wish to operate. These agreements can benefit all Yukoners – not just First Nations. Sometimes the Yukon Government is not best-placed to deliver, evaluate, and manage some services and programs. We know that our First Nations are well-suited to deliver and manage many programs, as Jackson Lake as shown. We must share jurisdiction, work collaboratively, and capitalize on the tools of our agreements.

The Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action are also building blocks for creating more effective and more efficient programs and services. Our country has embarked on a healing process to move beyond the failed, destructive policies of residential schools. For both First Nations and non-First Nations, we must identify how the Yukon Government can implement its responsibilities stemming from the Commission’s Calls to Action. We must create culturally competent programs and services. Critically, it must be our First Nations who lead Yukon’s participation in Canada’s Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Our Government should support them as it can and work to prevent future tragedies. In doing so, our Liberal Government will also restructure the Prevention of Violence Against Aboriginal Women Fund to make funding more readily available to communities.