During the 2026 Spring sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, the government introduced Bill No. 5 to amend the Health Authority Act. The proposed changes would grant the Minister of Health and Social Services unilateral authority to pause or dismantle the implementation of the Act.
The legislation, if passed, will create uncertainty for workers about what their future may hold, but also for the Yukoners they serve. The broader challenge facing the territory’s healthcare system is a growing gap between demand for services and the capacity of the workforce to deliver them.
“The current healthcare system is under-resourced, and chronically understaffed workers are sacrificing their own well-being to deliver the best care they can,” said Yukon Employees’ Union (YEU) President Justin Lemphers. “Healthcare professionals are doing everything they can, but without a clear plan and proper investment, that pressure becomes unsustainable.”
Meaningful healthcare reform requires more than delays or structural ambiguity. Strong public healthcare systems are built on stability, workforce planning, and a clear long-term vision — none of which are addressed in the proposed amendments.
We agree that the Yukon Healthcare system needs to be a priority of this government. YEU has consistently called for a healthcare system in the Yukon that is culturally appropriate, adequately funded, and designed to meet the needs of both workers and patients. Pausing the Health Authority without a defined path forward risks undermining those goals.
“Healthcare workers deserve better working conditions, and Yukoners deserve better outcomes,” Lemphers said. “Delaying decisions while continuing to under-resource the current system doesn’t move us forward — it creates more uncertainty for everyone involved.”
“What our members need is certainty about the future,” he said. “Bill No. 5 doesn’t provide that — it simply pushes critical decisions further down the road.”
The government must clearly articulate its vision for the future of healthcare in the Yukon and engage in honest, constructive discussions with workers and their representatives.
“We remain committed to working toward a fair deal for our members,” Lemphers said. “But that requires a government that is equally committed to defining and investing in the future of public healthcare in the Yukon.”
For Information, contact:
Rafsan Jugol
Communications Director
Yukon Employees’ Union