Government procurement debated at Yukon leaders' forum

Over 150 people showed up for aYukon election debate in Whitehorse on Thursday, hosted by the local business community.

• More Yukon Votes 2016 coverage from CBC North

Representative of all four parties (including leaders of the Yukon Party, the NDP and the Liberals)in the upcoming territorial election spoke at theforum that focused on the territory's economy, mining andtourism. There were questions aboutthe Dawson City airport runway, business, procurement practices, and affordable housing.

The forum was put on by the Yukon First Nation Chamber of Commerce, who partnered with the Yukon Chamber of Commerce, Yukon Chamber of Mines, Tourism Industry Association of Yukon, and the Association of Yukon Communities.

It was a mostly friendly debate, with few surprises. The participants Yukon Party leader Darrell Pasloski, Liberal leader Sandy Silver, NDP leader Liz Hanson and Green candidate Kristina Calhoun received 15questions in advance.

Each candidatehad 90 seconds to answer each question, with no rebuttals from the others.

Keeping jobs in Yukon

One key topic of the evening was government procurement, and how to keep contracts and jobs in Yukon.

"We will never see our rising unemployment fall as long as outsiders come in build our projects and leave," Hanson said. "It's time for new ideas. An NDP government will adopt a 'best bid policy', rather than lowest bid."

Yukon Liberal Leader Sandy Silver said his partywouldimplement the recommendations of the procurement advisory report, which came out earlier this year.

The procurement review panel was formed in 2015. Its members conducted interviews with business and Yukon government staff. The panel wanted to know what the challenges and concerns of the local business community and Yukon contractors were, when it came to government contracts.

The report recommends widespread changes, including a new system to handle complaints and appeals.

"This is really important to ensure construction tenders are [awarded] no later than March of every construction year," Silver said.

"Yukon Liberals will also want to have a detailed five-year capital plan that will help create that certainty that local businesses need."

Pasloskisaidhisparty will also implement all 37recommendations in the procurement advisory report.And he alsosaidmost services and construction contracts currentlygoto Yukon companies.

Pasloski saidhe sent a email to all government employees recently encouraging them to buy local.

"If you are personally buying on behalf of the government,and you can buy a product that is competitively-priced in this territory,we want you to buy local," he said.

Calhounsaidher party also supports buying local, saying it "stimulates the local economy, creates local jobs and increases the skill and innovation ofYukoners."

"Why you would ever encourage anything other than local is kind ofirresponsible," she said.

• More Yukon Votes 2016 coverage from CBC North