Yukon Party MLA’s Stacey Hassard and Wade Istchenko have issued public apologies after sending inappropriate text messages in a group chat that tagged Liberal leader Sandy Silver.
Screenshots of the text messages were released to the media late Sunday evening by the Yukon Liberal party.
The messages stem from a conversation that took place on Friday where Hassard and Istchenko make sexually crude remarks about Silver, NDP leader Kate White and Yukon Party leader Currie Dixon.
In one message, Istchenko states “Sandy likes the young ones they think everything is big.”
APTN News is not publishing screenshots of the messages.
In the release, Silver states he believes he was added in the conversation accidentally and that the Liberal party “believe(s) this text behaviour is unacceptable.”
The release also shows a screenshot of Dixon apologizing to Silver through text about the messages. However, Silver states the apology is “mild” and that “(we) are interested to know how he plans to address this behaviour.”
Today Dixon issued a statement condemning the messages and the MLA’s who wrote them.
He says Hassard and Istchenko will not be allowed to sit on any legislative committees nor will they be given critic roles when the Yukon Party establishes a shadow cabinet.
Hassard and Istchenko have also issued public apologies for their remarks.
