More than a quarter of the Yukon’s 21 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), totaling 28.6%, are landlords or have declared that their partners are landlords. This includes four MLAs from the government and two from the New Democratic Party (NDP). The proposed amendments to the territory’s Residential Tenancies Act, aimed at rebalancing the rental market, directly impact these MLAs.
During the fall session, Community Services Minister Cory Bellmore introduced a bill to modify the act, which would eliminate rent caps and reintroduce evictions without cause. The opposition, primarily the NDP, has expressed concerns about the proposed changes. Official Opposition Leader Kate White has urged MLAs who are landlords to abstain from voting on the amendments to avoid conflicts of interest.
White stressed the importance of addressing both real and perceived conflicts that could impact tenants’ housing affordability and security. She called for transparency in revealing any potential conflicts among MLAs, especially those who have vested interests in rental properties.
The legislation has passed its second reading and is set for a final vote later this fall. Before the vote, MLAs are required to disclose any rental properties they own in the territory. These disclosures are recorded in forms that also inquire about their affiliations with various businesses and organizations. The information provided in these forms is reviewed by CBC News to verify the accuracy of the declarations made by the political parties.
According to Tim Kucharuk, the press secretary for the Yukon Party caucus, four out of the 14 Yukon Party MLAs have acknowledged their status as landlords. Similarly, the Yukon NDP has disclosed that one of its MLAs rents out properties. The Yukon Liberals reported that their sole MLA does not own any rental properties.
The conflict of interest commissioner for the territory has confirmed that there is no conflict of interest for MLAs voting on the Residential Tenancies Act amendments, as the legislation applies uniformly and does not target specific landlords or properties. The commissioner emphasized that if there were conflicts for landlords, the same would apply to tenants, as legislative decisions often affect the entire population.