On January 7, 2019 the Premier, Hon. Sandy Silver, advised the Speaker, Hon. Nils Clarke, pursuant to Standing Orders 73(1) and 73(2) of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires the House to meet. Standing Order 75(10) stipulates that “the Spring Sitting shall commence the first week of March...” The Premier, therefore, requested that the Speaker give notice that the Second Session of the 34 th Legislative Assembly will reconvene on Thursday, March 7, 2019. Accordingly, the Speaker informed all Members that the House shall convene at 1:00 p.m. on that date. You may find the following information useful as regards the 2019 Spring Sitting.
Government Bills
Pursuant to Standing Order 74 all government bills to be dealt with during the 2019 Spring Sitting will have to be introduced and given first reading by the fifth sitting day – Thursday, March 14, 2019. The introduction of a government bill after that date will require the unanimous consent of the House. At each subsequent stage, the bill would require unanimous consent to proceed, if the government wishes to proceed with the bill during the 2019 Spring Sitting.
Length of the Sitting
Pursuant to Standing Order 75, once all government bills have been introduced the House Leaders shall meet for the purpose of achieving agreement upon the number of sitting days for the 2019 Spring Sitting. The Government House Leader will report to the House by the seventh sitting day - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - on the deliberations of the House Leaders regarding the length of the 2019 Spring Sitting. For your information:
- A 20-day Sitting, the shortest permitted under Standing Order 75(2), would see the House rise on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.
- A 30-day Sitting, either agreed upon by the House Leaders or pursuant to Standing Order 75(3) (where there is no agreement between the Government House Leader and at least one other House Leader), would see the House rise on Tuesday, April 30, 2019.
- A 40-day Sitting, the longest permitted under Standing Order 75(2), would see the House rise on Thursday, May 16, 2019.
Note: The Legislative Assembly will not sit on Easter Monday – April 22, 2019. Also, the House may, by adopting a motion, decide to not sit on a day when it would otherwise normally sit. Adopting such a motion could alter the date on which the 20th, 30th or 40th sitting day would fall.
Private Members' Business
Standing Order 14(1) says, “After the Daily Routine, on the first Wednesday of a Session that private members' business is to be considered, and every second Wednesday thereafter, the order of business shall be as follows:
Opposition private members' business:
(a) Motions for the Production of Papers
(b) Motions other than Government Motions
(c) Bills other than Government Bills Motions
Respecting Committee Reports
Government Designated Business
Government private members' business:
(a) Motions for the Production of Papers
(b) Motions other than Government Motions
(c) Bills other than Government Bills”
Pursuant to Standing Order 14(2) “After the Daily Routine, on the second Wednesday of a Session that private members' business is to be considered, and every second Wednesday thereafter, the order of business shall be as follows:
Government private members' business:
(a) Motions for the Production of Papers
(b) Motions other than Government Motions
(c) Bills other than Government Bills
Government Designated Business
Motions Respecting Committee Reports
Opposition private members' business:
(a) Motions for the Production of Papers
(b) Motions other than Government Motions
(c) Bills other than Government Bills”
Therefore, as the 2019 Spring Sitting will commence on Thursday, March 7, 2019, the schedule of private members’ business for the 2019 Spring Sitting will be:
- March 13 Opposition private members
- March 20 Government private members
- March 27 Opposition private members
- April 3 Government private members
- April 10 Opposition private members
- April 17 Government private members (Should the Sitting last 24 or more sitting days)
- April 24 Opposition private members (Should the Sitting last 27 or more sitting days)
- May 1 Government private members (Should the Sitting last 31 or more sitting days)
- May 8 Opposition private members (Should the Sitting last 35 or more sitting days)
- May 15 Government private members (Should the Sitting last 39 or more sitting days)
Given that the House will not sit on Easter Monday (April 22, 2019), any motion to be debated on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 will have to be on the Notice Paper on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, which means that notice of the motion will have to be given to the House, either orally (during the Daily Routine) or in writing (to the Clerk’s Table before 5:00 p.m.), by Thursday, April 18, 2019.
Opposition Private Members' Business
Standing Order 14.2(2) says, “At the beginning of each Session a roster shall be established for the purpose of determining the order of business on Wednesdays when Opposition private members' business has precedence. The roster shall be set in the following manner:
(a) the Official Opposition shall have the first, second and fifth positions on the roster;
(b) a party or group in opposition to the government, other than the Official Opposition, shall have the third, fourth and sixth positions on the roster…”
The last opposition private member’s motion debated during the 2018 Fall Sitting was Motion No. 330 (standing in the name of Ms. Hanson) on November 14, 2018. Motion No. 330 was at Position 3 in the roster. The roster is now at Position 4. Therefore, the roster for Opposition Private Members’ Business for the 2019 Spring Sitting will be:
- Position 4: Third Party (NDP)
- Position 5: Official Opposition (Yukon Party)
- Position 6: Third Party (NDP)
- Position 1: Official Opposition (Yukon Party)
- Position 2: Official Opposition (Yukon Party)
- Position 3: Third Party (NDP)
Do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information about these, or other, matters.
Floyd McCormick, Clerk
Yukon Legislative Assembly