WHITEHORSE – Earlier this week, the Government of the Northwest Territories announced that it was rolling back its border restrictions to more closely align with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The NWT’s previous border restrictions are similar to the Yukon’s current restrictions.
On May 27th, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association wrote to the Yukon Liberal government with concerns that their border restrictions may be in violation of section 6 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. These measures have been implemented without any legislative oversight or scrutiny.
The Yukon Party is calling on the government to release its legal advice indicating that its actions are consistent with the Charter.
“We recognize that there are public health merits in the closure of the borders. However, responsible governments also need to ensure actions they take are not in violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” said Brad Cathers, Official Opposition Critic for Justice and Democratic Institutions.
“The government owes it to Yukoners to show us all how they arrived at this decision, and what legal advice they received indicating that the current restrictions are not in violation of the Constitution,” added Cathers. “Democracy dies in the dark. People have a right to see this information, and the Liberals need to recall the Legislative Assembly so there will be democratic oversight and debate for these types of decisions.”
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Contact:
Madison Pearson
Communications
(867) 393-7026