NDP Leader Kate White says her party would tackle head-on the issues of alcohol abuse and deadly illicit drug use if elected next Monday.
The territory has so much strength, so much optimism, White said in her platform announcement on Zoom Wednesday morning.
“But our territory is also facing an addictions crisis,” she said. “In 2020, there were twice as many overdose deaths as there were in 2019, and with the introduction of fentanyl and carfentanyl into our supply, we’re on track for another crushing year where sons and daughters, brothers and sisters are stolen from us due to the opioid epidemic.
Posted: Apr 09, 2021 8:00 AM CT | Last Updated: April 9
Election signs in Whitehorse s Mountainview riding. The riding is one of several that were won by just a handful of votes in 2016.(Paul Tukker/CBC) comments
Monday s Yukon election is bound to be interesting, if only because the outcome is still too difficult to predict there s been no clear front-runner through the campaign, nor has there been any central issue dominating debate and stirring passions.
In short, anything could happen from Sandy Silver s Liberals winning re-election for the first time in that party s history, to Currie Dixon returning the Yukon Party to government after a few years on the sidelines, to Kate White vaulting the NDP from third-party status to government.
The Yukon New Democratic Party has been busy fielding candidates for the upcoming territorial election, widely expected to be called this spring.
The party says it has nearly 20 candidates waiting in the wings to be nominated – but most of those haven’t yet been publicly named.
Party leader Kate White says she’s eagerly waiting to unveil those candidates, which should occur in the next few weeks.
“I’m really excited,” she said.
Two of the named candidates, Dave Weir in Haines Junction and Michelle Friesen, have been interviewed by the Star.
“I really didn’t have much choice about deciding to run,” said Weir. “There are changes that need to be made, and the privileged few are in charge. It’s a big social divide I want to be able to speak up and be involved.”