The Yukon government administration has reportedly managed to survive the recent auditor general’s review of last year’s Highways and Public Works operations
While they did express concerns relating to the consistent use of sole-sourcing when awarding leasing contracts, is there really any easier way to dispense patronage without drawing public attention? And speaking of patronage, officials continue to deny that the Yukon remains hundreds of millions of dollars in debt.
These sums are largely hidden from legislative scrutiny and public view through the often questionable operations of its corporations. It would be in the public interest for the auditor general to consider a surprise audit of these entities sometime in the near future. The result could be very revealing.
Despite many well-publicized past scandals, the ability of the Yukon government administration to maintain such a level of public acceptance is remarkable.
Of course, secrecy eventually results in public apathy. By demanding and maintaining measures of absolute secrecy throughout its administration, government leaders have been effective to date in shrugging off suggestions of impropriety or mismanagement while conducting our public affairs.
After all, how can anyone complain if they really don’t know what is going on in the first place? That’s really what it’s all about.
In past years, volumes of public information were always readily available from the Yukon government detailing the operations or activities of any or all departments of government.
For instance, if citizens were interested in what contracts had been awarded to whom, and whether they were awarded by public tender or sole-sourced, this information was considered to be public knowledge. It was provided daily and was always accessible on the Internet.
Now, after years of access to such publications, government will no longer permit the media or members of the general public to know anything about what they are supposedly doing on our behalf.
Why not see for yourself? Just try to access the long-time contract registry (www.hpw.gov.yk.ca/registry/registry_search.html.) on the Internet and you will see what I mean.
Following years of research and documentation, my findings indicate beyond any doubt whatsoever, that since the fall of 2002, the Yukon electorate has been continually manipulated and deceived by the Yukon government administration.
I once again challenge them or anyone else to publicly prove otherwise. Such a dialogue would certainly be in the public interest, unless of course the residents of Yukon are now so apathetic, they’re really not interested in knowing or facing the real truth.
Donald Taylor
Watson Lake