The office of Speaker is almost as old as parliamentary government itself. It is grounded in the parliamentary traditions inherited from Great Britain and has evolved over centuries.
The Speaker’s role is defined by the Standing Orders. The Speaker ensures that Assembly proceedings follow the established rules and practices. This includes making sure that all motions for debate are properly put to the Assembly, determining the order in which members speak, and ruling on points of order and questions of privilege. The Speaker ensures that all MLAs get a fair opportunity to take part in the proceedings. In enforcing the rules, the Speaker balances two basic principles: allowing the majority to conduct its business in an orderly manner and protecting the minority’s right to be heard. The Speaker favours neither side over the other. The Speaker, with the help of the Sergeant-at-Arms, maintains order on the floor and in the public gallery.
In addition to presiding over the Assembly, the Speaker serves as Chair of the Members' Services Board, an all-party committee of the Legislative Assembly and is President of the Yukon Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
The Yukon Act requires that the Legislative Assembly elect one of its members as Speaker. The Legislative Assembly Act requires that this be done on the first sitting day of a new Legislative Assembly. The Speaker is elected by way of a motion that a certain member “take the Chair of this Assembly as Speaker.” The established practice is for this motion to be moved by the Premier and seconded by other party leaders. This practice demonstrates that the MLA nominated as Speaker has the support of all parties in the Assembly.
The Hon. Yvonne Clarke
On December 8, 2025, the Yukon Legislative Assembly elected the Hon. Yvonne Clarke as Speaker. She is Yukon's 27th Speaker and the first Filipino-Canadian Speaker in the Commonwealth.
The Hon. Yvonne Clarke was first elected in the general election on April 12, 2021, as the Member for Porter Creek Centre. She was subsequently re-elected on November 3, 2025, as the Member for Whistle Bend North. Yvonne Clarke is known for her commitment to advancing equity through representation, collaboration, and lived experience.
Before serving in public office, she chaired the Yukon Advisory Council on Women’s Issues, supporting legal, social, and economic equality for women across the territory. Yvonne Clarke also co-authored the third edition of Splitting Up, a practical legal resource for women navigating family breakdowns.
This work continued through advocacy for sustainable support for women’s organizations and for ensuring women’s voices are included in decision-making. On the national stage, she represented Yukon on the RCMP Commissioner’s National Advisory Committee on Visible Minorities and she currently serves on the Steering Committee of Canadian Women Parliamentarians, where she collaborates with legislators across the country to strengthen leadership and representation.
As a Filipino-Canadian woman, her goal is to strengthen the visibility of women MLAs, promote women’s leadership across Canada’s parliamentary institutions, and increase public awareness of the trailblazers who came before her.