WHITEHORSE – Currie Dixon, Leader of the Official Opposition, announced that the Yukon Party will launch a public consultation on the behind-closed-doors rent control policy that has created uncertainty and hardship for both tenants and landlords. Yukon Party MLAs have heard extensively from concerned landlords who are fearing for both their short and long-term financial situations and from tenants who fear they will be displaced or have already experienced dramatic rent increases.

Despite this policy never having been announced formally, both landlords and tenants have been reacting to it as it was one of the key policies that underpins the Liberal-NDP coalition agreement and will supposedly come into force on May 15, 2021. The Yukon Party has heard accounts of tenants subjected to last minute rent increases and even eviction notices, as well as landlords putting rental units up for sale or looking at converting them to condos. All of this is the result of the spectre of the ill-considered and poorly communicated policy from the Liberal-NDP coalition.

In response to this chaotic situation, the Yukon Party is launching a public consultation so that rental tenants, landlords, and other affected Yukoners can inform the Yukon Legislative Assembly about the impacts of this policy. This is being done because the Liberal-NDP coalition announced their policy and implementation date with no consultation at all.

The public consultation will meaningfully engage Yukoners in order to hear their concerns, thoughts, and alternatives surrounding rent control, as well as support or opposition for the policy. Following consultation, feedback will be shared with the government to ensure that the input of Yukoners is considered. The Yukon Party firmly believes this public engagement process should be a baseline commitment for policy and legislative development in the territory.

Yukoners who would like to share their input and feedback with Legislators are invited to email [email protected].

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Conducting such a major policy change without consulting Yukoners is a failure of government. Given the concerns we have heard, and the absence of responsible leadership from the Yukon Liberals, the Yukon Party will launch this consultation to help Yukoners be heard.  – Currie Dixon, Leader of the Yukon Party.

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