Latest news with #SandySilver
CBC
10-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Yukon Liberals to pick new leader on June 19
Social Sharing The Yukon Liberal Party will select its next leader — and therefore the territory's next premier — on June 19 in Whitehorse. The party announced the date of its upcoming leadership convention on Thursday. It follows Premier Ranj Pillai's surprise announcement earlier this week that he would step down once a new leader is chosen, and will not run in the upcoming territorial election. Pillai has been premier since January 2023, when he took on the role after former premier Sandy Silver decided to give up the party leadership. Pillai ran unopposed for the leadership. Nobody has yet declared their intention to seek the party leadership this time around. The deadline to submit a nomination is May 29. Party members will be able to vote in person at the event in Whitehorse, or by proxy. If there are several candidates, voting will be done by a ranked preferential ballot, which means there may be several rounds of voting before a winner is declared. The new leader does not automatically become premier, but it would likely happen within days, according to Floyd McCormick, a retired clerk of the Legislative Assembly who still closely watches Yukon politics. McCormick says the territory's commissioner would need to issue an order making the new Liberal leader the premier. Whether or not that person already has a seat in the Legislative Assembly is of little consequence in the short term, McCormick says. They'll still have all the powers and responsibilities of the premiership until the next election. "Constitutionally speaking, that authority is always there to deal with anything that comes up," he said. McCormick points to parallels with the federal Liberals, who chose Mark Carney as their leader before he had a seat in Parliament. It's also happened before in the Yukon, McCormick points out. In 1985, Chris Pearson resigned after seven years as government leader, or premier, and Willard Phelps was chosen to succeed him, though Phelps didn't have a seat in the legislature. An election was called almost immediately and Phelps's Progressive Conservatives were ousted by Tony Penikett's NDP. Phelps had been premier for 10 weeks. Then in 2011, Darrell Pasloski was chosen to succeed Dennis Fentie as Yukon Party leader though Pasloski was not then a sitting MLA. Pasloski, as premier, also called an election soon after, winning himself a seat and his party another majority government. Election unlikely before fall, McCormick says The next premier also won't have much time before they have to face voters. The territorial election must happen by Nov. 3 — after a minimum 31-day campaign — but could be called sooner. McCormick, however, thinks it's unlikely that Yukoners will be going to the polls before fall. He said he doesn't see any advantage for the governing party to call it anytime sooner. "I don't think a summer election is something that anybody would be interested in," McCormick said. He said the party may need more time to line up its candidates for the upcoming campaign, a process which may be influenced by who the new leader is. McCormick also suggested that the new premier might want at least a bit of time in the role before facing voters. He compares it to how Carney became prime minister in March and then waited some days before calling the federal election. "So it's kind of like an audition for the position. And so, you know, the more you can act like a premier before the election, then maybe that'll convince a few people that you can be continue as premier after the election," McCormick said. He also doesn't expect the Legislative Assembly to sit again before the writ is dropped, unless "there's some sort of emergency situation."
CBC
07-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai announces resignation
In a surprise move Wednesday, Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai announced he's stepping down. Pillai told reporters he plans to stay on until a new leader is selected. He said he plans to focus on improvements to health care and the threat posed by U.S. tariffs for the rest of his term. The territory is headed for an election this fall. Under the Yukon's fixed election date law, the vote must take place no later than Nov. 3. Pillai has served as premier since January 2023. He ran unopposed for the Liberal leadership after former premier Sandy Silver resigned. He's also faced nonstop calls from the opposition Yukon Party to call an election since he took power. Pillai is also the minister responsible for housing, economic development, Indigenous and intergovernmental affairs. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2016 when the Liberals swept to power, ending 14 years of Yukon Party rule. Under Silver's premiership, Pillai served as the minister of economic development, energy mines and resources and tourism and culture.
CBC
01-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Yukon finance minister calls for wind-down of federal carbon levy, cancellation of April 1 increase
The Yukon's finance minister wants Canada to start winding down the consumer carbon levy in the territory in anticipation of the country's next prime minister scrapping, freezing or substantially changing the program. The federal Department of Finance, however, says it won't "speculate" on the program's future. In a letter to Ottawa as well as a public written statement this week, territorial Finance Minister Sandy Silver noted that "all leading candidates" in the federal Liberal leadership race "have expressed their commitment to end or change the consumer carbon levy, if successful." The leaders of the federal Conservative Party and NDP have made similar promises, "indicating that it is highly unlikely that a carbon price will be in place following the next federal election." "Given this impending change in policy direction, I am writing to encourage you to begin winding down the federal carbon levy in the Yukon," Silver wrote in the letter, addressed to his federal counterpart Dominic LeBlanc as well as Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault. Silver also called for the planned April 1 levy increase to be cancelled. In an interview, Silver said he was looking for certainty from Canada, given that the Yukon has a specially-tailored rebate program. The federal carbon levy is applied in the Yukon at the point-of-sale for fuels like gasoline and diesel, with the money then returned to the territorial government. The Yukon rebates that cash to local residents, businesses, First Nations and municipal governments every year, with the promise that they'll get back more than what they paid in. "When we make those [rebate] estimates in November, we are assuming that this carbon pricing is continuing — it's not, so we're looking for that certainty and we're looking for it sooner than later," Silver said. "The federal government should be working with us to make sure that these changes don't have Yukoners being left behind." Silver added that while the Yukon has had issues with how Canada has applied the levy — including when the federal government forced the territory in 2022 to amend its mining rebate, or risk losing its carbon pricing transfer — he was still "deeply disappointed" about its ostensible demise. "That results in the loss of the carbon rebates revenues that have directly benefitted [Yukoners]," he said. "As a Canadian who cares about the climate, I'm also interested in seeing the platforms of each of the political parties to see what they're going to do to address climate change." 'Inappropriate' to 'speculate,' finance department says In an email, federal Department of Finance spokesperson Marie-France Faucher confirmed that the government had received Silver's letter, but did not address questions about whether the government would consider his suggestions. "It would be inappropriate for the department to speculate on any potential or prospective changes on the federal carbon pollution pricing system," she wrote. "The government continues to collaborate with provinces and territories in administering their income taxes and benefits or rebate programs under the Tax Collection Agreements." Meanwhile, Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon said the Official Opposition felt "vindicated" by Silver's request to wind down the carbon levy. "For the better part of the past decade, we've been saying this was not the right policy for Canada and especially not the right policy for the Yukon … so we're certainly happy to see that announcement," he said. However, he added that the situation also creates a "number of questions," including with how future rebates will be handled. The Yukon government, he noted, had listed an anticipated revenue of more than $30 million from the levy in its last budget.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Yukon finance minister calls for wind-down of federal carbon levy, cancellation of April 1 increase
The Yukon's finance minister wants Canada to start winding down the consumer carbon levy in the territory in anticipation of the country's next prime minister scrapping, freezing or substantially changing the program. The federal Department of Finance, however, says it won't "speculate" on the program's future. In a letter to Ottawa as well as a public written statement this week, territorial Finance Minister Sandy Silver noted that "all leading candidates" in the federal Liberal leadership race "have expressed their commitment to end or change the consumer carbon levy, if successful." The leaders of the federal Conservative Party and NDP have made similar promises, "indicating that it is highly unlikely that a carbon price will be in place following the next federal election." "Given this impending change in policy direction, I am writing to encourage you to begin winding down the federal carbon levy in the Yukon," Silver wrote in the letter, addressed to his federal counterpart Dominic LeBlanc as well as Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault. Silver also called for the planned April 1 levy increase to be cancelled. In an interview, Silver said he was looking for certainty from Canada, given that the Yukon has a specially-tailored rebate program. The federal carbon levy is applied in the Yukon at the point-of-sale for fuels like gasoline and diesel, with the money then returned to the territorial government. The Yukon rebates that cash to local residents, businesses, First Nations and municipal governments every year, with the promise that they'll get back more than what they paid in. "When we make those [rebate] estimates in November, we are assuming that this carbon pricing is continuing — it's not, so we're looking for that certainty and we're looking for it sooner than later," Silver said. "The federal government should be working with us to make sure that these changes don't have Yukoners being left behind." Silver added that while the Yukon has had issues with how Canada has applied the levy — including when the federal government forced the territory in 2022 to amend its mining rebate, or risk losing its carbon pricing transfer — he was still "deeply disappointed" about its ostensible demise. "That results in the loss of the carbon rebates revenues that have directly benefitted [Yukoners]," he said. "As a Canadian who cares about the climate, I'm also interested in seeing the platforms of each of the political parties to see what they're going to do to address climate change." 'Inappropriate' to 'speculate,' finance department says In an email, federal Department of Finance spokesperson Marie-France Faucher confirmed that the government had received Silver's letter, but did not address questions about whether the government would consider his suggestions. "It would be inappropriate for the department to speculate on any potential or prospective changes on the federal carbon pollution pricing system," she wrote. "The government continues to collaborate with provinces and territories in administering their income taxes and benefits or rebate programs under the Tax Collection Agreements." Meanwhile, Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon said the Official Opposition felt "vindicated" by Silver's request to wind down the carbon levy. "For the better part of the past decade, we've been saying this was not the right policy for Canada and especially not the right policy for the Yukon … so we're certainly happy to see that announcement," he said. However, he added that the situation also creates a "number of questions," including with how future rebates will be handled. The Yukon government, he noted, had listed an anticipated revenue of more than $30 million from the levy in its last budget. "We'd like to know what's going to happen with that money," Dixon said, "and how will this so-called wind-down affect Yukoners and their pocketbooks."
