Yukon.

• Author: McCormick, Floyd
• Position: Legislative Reports

The 2005 Spring Sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly began on March 24. Pursuant to Standing Order 74 the government introduced all the bills it wanted to see dealt with during this sitting by the fifth sitting day, April 4. Subsequently, pursuant to Standing Order 75, the three House leaders met to determine the length of the sitting. On April 6 the government House leader, Peter Jenkins (Klondike, Yukon Party) informed the Assembly that the House leaders could not reach agreement on the length of the sitting. As a result the Speaker, Ted Staffen, declared, pursuant to Standing Order 75(3), that the 2005 Spring Sitting would last 30 sitting days, the 30th sitting day to be May 17, 2004.

Government Legislation

Five government bills were introduced during this Sitting. These bills were:

* Bill No. 13, Third Appropriation Act, 2004-05

* Bill No. 14, Interim Supply Appropriation Act, 2005-06

* Bill No. 15, First Appropriation Act, 2005-06

* Bill No. 55, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005

* Bill No. 56, Dawson Municipal Governance Restoration Act

Bill No. 14 received assent on March 31; the other four bills received assent on May 17.

Question of Privilege

On the opening day of the Sitting Pat Duncan (Porter Creek South, Liberal) rose on a Question of Privilege. At issue was the government's divulging of budget-related information in advance of the presentation of the 2005-06 estimates in the Assembly. This, Ms. Duncan argued, constituted a contempt of the Assembly. Those familiar with the situation that developed in Ontario in 2003 will understand the issue presented in Yukon. In fact Ms. Duncan, in presenting her case to the Assembly, relied heavily on the argument presented by the former member for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, Sean Conway, and the ruling of Ontario's then-Speaker, Gary Carr.

In this case, however, Speaker Staffen, did not find a prima facie case of contempt. In his ruling the Speaker accepted the definition of contempt offered by Joseph Maingot in Parliamentary Privilege in Canada as "an offence against the authority and dignity of the house." However Speaker Staffen found that the authority of the House had not been adversely affected by the government's action. The Speaker concluded that, "No matter what announcements the government makes outside this House all appropriations have to be submitted to, and passed by, this Assembly before they become law and the government acquires the lawful authority to spend...