Information regarding the 2019 Fall Sitting of the Third Session of the 34th Legislative Assembly

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On August 1, 2019 the Premier, Hon. Sandy Silver, advised the Speaker, Hon. Nils Clarke, pursuant to Standing Orders 73(1) and 73(2), that the public interest requires the House to meet. Standing Order 75(10) stipulates that “…the Fall Sitting shall commence the first week of October.” The Speaker informed all Members by way of notice that the House shall convene at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 3, 2019.

On August 1, 2019 the Commissioner, Angélique Bernard, advised by Proclamation that the 34th Legislative Assembly will be prorogued on October 3, 2019 at noon, and that the Third Session of the Legislative Assembly will commence one hour later. A Speech from the Throne will be delivered by Commissioner Bernard shortly after 1:00 pm on October 3, 2019.

You may find the following information useful as regards to the 2019 Fall Sitting

Government Bills

Pursuant to Standing Order 74 all government bills to be dealt with during the 2019 Fall Sitting will have to be introduced and given first reading by the fifth sitting day – Thursday, October 10, 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 Fall 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 Fall Sitting. The Government House Leader will report to the House by the seventh sitting day - Wednesday October 16, 2019 - on the deliberations of the House Leaders regarding the length of the 2019 Fall Sitting. For your information:

  • A 20-day Sitting, the shortest permitted under Standing Order 75(2), would see the House rise on Thursday, November 7, 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 Wednesday, November 27, 2019.
  • There can’t be any sitting days past 30 days as the spring session sat for 30 days and under Standing Order 75(1), the maximum number of sitting days is 60.

Note: The Legislative Assembly will not sit on Thanksgiving Monday – October 14, 2019 or Monday November 11, 2019 for Remembrance Day. 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 or 30th 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 Fall Sitting will commence on Thursday, October 3, 2019, the schedule of private members’ business for the 2019 Fall Sitting will be:

  • Oct. 9 Opposition private members
  • Oct.16 Government private members
  • Oct. 23 Opposition private members
  • Oct. 30 Government private members
  • Nov. 6 Opposition private members
  • Nov. 13 Government private members (Should the Sitting last 23 or more sitting days)
  • Nov. 20 Opposition private members (Should the Sitting last 26 or more sitting days)
  • Nov. 27 Government private members (Should the Sitting last 30 sitting days)

Note: If Wednesday, October 9 is designated by the Government as a day for consideration of the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne, the above schedule will be delayed by a week. In such a case, Opposition private members nonetheless retain the first spot in the schedule. In addition, if the schedule is delayed by a week, the final day will become an opposition Wednesday with the Speaker in the chair.

Given that the House will not sit on Thanksgiving Monday (October 14, 2019), any motion to be debated on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 will have to be on the Notice Paper on Tuesday, October 15, 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, October 10, 2019.

In addition, the house will not sit on Remembrance Day November 11, 2019, any motion to be debated on Wednesday November 13, 2019 will have to be on the Notice Paper on Tuesday November 12, 2019, which means that notice of the motion will have to be given to the House, either orally (during Daily Routine) or in writing (to the Clerk’s Table before 5:00 p.m.), by Thursday November 7, 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…”

Since the house was prorogued, the positions for the roster are reset. Therefore, the roster for Opposition Private Members’ Business for the 2019 Fall Sitting will be:

  • Position 1: Official Opposition (Yukon Party)
  • Position 2: Official Opposition (Yukon Party)
  • Position 3: Third Party (NDP)
  • Position 4: Third Party (NDP)
  • Position 5: Official Opposition (Yukon Party)
  • Position 6: Third Party (NDP)

Do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information about these, or other, matters.

Dan Cable, Clerk
Yukon Legislative Assembly