Latest news with #RichardMostyn
CBC
22-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Yukon gov't, with NDP support, introduces new Residential Tenancies Act
The Yukon government has introduced a new law that aims "to create a fair balance between tenants and landlords" and replace the former Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. The new bill — the Residential Tenancies Act — enshrines rent control, requires landlords to provide a specific reason for ending a lease, and sets out distinct rules for mobile homes, among other changes. "This bill ... is a delicate and deliberate balance of stability, transparency, and reasonableness to guide landlord and tenant relationships in the Yukon," said Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn. The act would also allow tenants to end leases when their safety is at risk or if they need to move into long-term care. It also, for the first time, allows and regulates deposits for pet owners. The idea behind that provision, said government policy analyst Sarah Murray, is to encourage more landlords to allow pet ownership in their units. "One of the key issues that we heard from people is that the lack of pet-friendly rentals is one of the big issues in the Yukon," she said. Lars Hartling, president of the Yukon Residential Landlord Association, said he welcomes the new bill. But he still wants the government to get rid of rent caps. "Rent caps are arguably a bit of slamming on the brakes for investment into the Yukon," he said. "When this act is in place, it's going to be in place for a long time." That's a concern echoed by Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon, who's on record saying landlords should be able to charge whatever they want. But he also said the rent control provision, which was introduced as an NDP demand in the confidence and supply agreement (CASA) with the government, was clearly meant as a temporary pandemic measure. He said the government risks driving out private-sector investment in rental properties. "I think that the intentions behind these policies are good intentions," Dixon said during debate on the bill Wednesday. "I think that it's meant to be an effective policy, but I don't think that the outcome shows us, here in the Yukon or around the world, that it is indeed an effective policy." NDP Leader Kate White said the bill also requires landlords to offer right of first refusal for tenants who are forced out due to renovations. "If a landlord has not chosen to keep up with required repairs to keep a building meeting the health and safety standards, that's not a tenant's problem," she said. "I think that evicting someone for those reasons is unfair." The bill is now before the legislature's committee of the whole.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Yukon no longer 'unregulated Wild West' for psychologists, as territory adopts new rules
Charlene Bradford couldn't be happier to say goodbye to what she characterizes as "an unregulated Wild West" when it comes to psychology and mental health services in the Yukon. Bradford, a registered psychologist and president of the Psychological Society of Yukon, is celebrating the territorial government's announcement that as of Saturday, psychologists will be regulated under the territory's Health Professions Act. The society has argued for years that Yukon was the last jurisdiction in Canada to not have a regulatory framework for psychologists. That meant that anybody could call themselves a psychologist in Yukon, regardless of their training, experience, or ethical standards, and offer services to local clients. "We're very excited about the whole situation," Bradford said on Wednesday, about the new territorial regulation. "It's kind of a sense of relief as well, being like, OK finally — we've been working for a long time for this." The government announced the new regulation on Tuesday. It requires all psychologists practising in the Yukon to be licensed and registered, and also sets out processes for complaints or disciplinary action against a professional. In a statement, Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn said the regulation is about "ensuring that Yukoners receive care from highly qualified and ethical professionals." "By setting clear standards and strengthening accountability, this regulation not only improves access to registered psychologists but also fosters trust and transparency in mental health services," Mostyn's statement reads. Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn said in a statement that the new regulation sets clear standards for psychologists practising in the territory, and strengthens accountability. (Rafsan Faruque Jugol/CBC) The government also says the new regulation means that Yukoners who see a psychologist will now be eligible to benefit from federal tax deductions. Under the regulation, psychologists must now register with the territory and hold a certificate in order to identify themself as a psychologist, registered psychologist or registered doctoral psychologist. The certificate must be renewed annually. 'A psychologist, for real' Bradford says it's about protecting the public and ensuring that people are receiving quality care. "I think the first biggest thing is that if you go and see a psychologist now in Yukon, they're actually a psychologist," she said. "So they've met a minimum standard of education, they've completed some licensing exam, they've had an exam in the legislation in the area, and a supervised practice. So you can be assured that they're a psychologist, for real." Bradford said the Psychological Society of Yukon has heard from Yukoners who have seen someone they believed was a psychologist, only to have their benefits claim rejected because that person was not in fact a psychologist. "So that part's a little easier now," she said. Bradford said she and others formed their society in 2019 as a way to advocate for psychology regulation in the territory. She says it's gratifying to feel their efforts have now paid off. She's especially pleased to see that there will also now be a requirement for registered psychologists to have some basic education in Yukon First Nations history and culture in order to practise in the territory. "We do have psychologists who are living and practising in Yukon, and then we also have psychologists who are living outside of Yukon but do come up here. And so for us, that was a really big piece — it's like, OK, but you need to understand the Yukon context when you're coming up," she said. Bradford also says Yukon needs more psychologists, so she hopes the new regulation makes the territory a more appealing place to work. "We have regulations and there's a clear process for that now, which is really fabulous. So I'm hoping it opens the doors for other psychologists to work here, perhaps from across the North, perhaps in telehealth ways," she said. "So there's a lot of possibility there."
