FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                     August 16, 2023

WHITEHORSE – July’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Whitehorse again exposed the territorial Liberals’ failure to address inflation. The Yukon’s capital city has the dubious honour of leading Canada’s inflation numbers for the eighth month in a row.

Information from the Yukon Bureau of Statistics (YBS) says July’s year-over-year inflation rate for Whitehorse rose to 5.2 per cent, the highest in the country by a large margin. Quebec comes in with the second-highest rate at 3.9 per cent – over a full percentage point lower than Whitehorse. The Canadian average is 3.3 per cent – almost two percentage points lower.

The Premier has no new ideas and refuses to listen to advice from Yukoners and the Official Opposition. Since the spring of 2022, the Yukon Party Official Opposition has provided evidence with the government’s own budget documents that the Yukon could temporarily suspend the territorial fuel tax without adversely affecting government finances. As well, the Legislative Assembly passed a motion urging the territorial Liberals request Ottawa suspend the carbon tax on home heating fuel. To date, the Premier has ignored the will of the assembly and refused to make that request.

“Inflation continues to drive up the cost of living, and constituents are telling me they can’t keep up with the rising cost of everything,” said Kluane MLA Wade Istchenko. “I told the Premier in the spring I would not vote for a government with the worst record on the cost of living in the country. And I don’t know why anyone would vote for a government that is making life unaffordable for Yukoners.”

-30-

Contact:
Tim Kucharuk
Press Secretary
(867) 393-7026