Which confidence-and-supply-agreement, or CASA, commitments do Yukon NDP Leader Kate White fear could fizzle out?
“Any of them,” she told the News by phone late on the afternoon of March 24.
“The Yukon dental program is a big one.”
White said she is still trying to get an affirmative: that the Liberal Yukon government will keep the territorial dental program moving forward instead of shifting to the federal dental program.
“It's an election year, so who knows what that looks like at the end of it, but the Yukon dental program is far superior to the federal program, and it captures more people, and it has a broader range of services and support, and Yukon dentists have been really clear that to lose it would be detrimental to people's health,” she said.
White signed deals in 2021 and 2023 with the governing Yukon Liberal Party. As part of the pact, she agrees to vote with the government on confidence and supply matters, effectively keeping the Liberals in power. The deal remains in effect through the passage of the Yukon government’s main 2025-26 budget, until a territorial election is called, according to the deal.
In the legislature on March 24, White sought a commitment from Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn around the free transit initiative since she said the budget was cut 39 per cent when it went from $330,000 last fiscal year to $200,000 this year. White told the News there was less money earmarked because the program was going to end in November, based on information she gleaned from a department briefing.
The Yukon government has been providing free transit passes to Yukoners through non-government organizations, or NGOs, and government-run service providers like the library and warming centre at the legislative building since last fall. The program was prompted because of a stipulation in CASA.
Mostyn told MLAs he was pleased to work with White, as well as the City of Whitehorse, which he said is responsible for city transit and the way it rolls out, to offer this initiative.
Mostyn gave an update on uptake.
He said 1,579 adult passes, 354 senior passes, 356 youth passes and 164 passes for people with disabilities have been given out between October 2024 and Feb. 7, 2025.
Additionally, more than 39,000 tickets have been handed out to adults, seniors and youth.
“We are very happy with the way this is going out. We are funding the program, and we are basing it on the projections that the department has,” Mostyn said.
“I have not told anybody that we are not supporting the project.”
Mostyn agreed with the Third Party leader that this is a “popular” program that aims to reduce barriers to transportation and increase access to essential services.
“We celebrate its continuance,” he said.
When White asked which CASA commitments will be cut under the governing Liberals before the next election, Mostyn declined to speak to hypothetical situations.
“Quite frankly, you can’t predict the future. The future is quite complicated these days,” he said.
“I’m glad that people are using transit, and I look forward to seeing it continue into the future.”
White told the News she also wants to know the future for educational assistants and learning assistant teachers that she said were given three-year terms under CASA.
She wonders whether those terms will be extended.
Territorial elections must be called on or before Nov. 3, 2025, according to law.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
