Yukon.

• Author: Kolody, Linda
• Position: Legislative Reports

Spring Sitting

The 2016 Spring Sitting of the 33rd Legislative Assembly--widely anticipated to be the last Sitting before a general election is called--was 28 sitting days, running from April 7 to May 26.

Resignation of Speaker

On the morning of May 10, 2016, David Laxton resigned as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and from the governing Yukon Party caucus. Mr. Laxton, the member for Porter Creek Centre, is now an Independent MLA.

New Speaker and Deputy Speaker

The first order of business when the House met that afternoon was the appointment of a new Speaker. On motion of Premier Darrell Pasloski, Patti McLeod, the member for Watson Lake, was elected Speaker. Ms. McLeod had served as Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committee of the Whole since the first Sitting of the current Legislative Assembly, in December 2011. Ms. McLeod became Yukon's 24th Speaker, as well as the first woman to hold this office.

Next, on motion of the Premier, Darius Elias, the member for Vuntut Gwitchin, was elected Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committee of the Whole. Mr. Elias had been elected Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole in April, 2015. In light of his new role, Mr. Elias relinquished the position of Government House Leader (a designation he had acquired in January, 2015). The new Government House Leader is Brad Cathers, who had been serving as the Deputy Government House Leader since January, 2015. Mr. Cathers previously served as Government House Leader from December 12, 2005 to August 28, 2009, and from November 5, 2011 to January 16, 2015.

Standings in the House

The newly-revised standings in the 19-member House are: 11 Yukon Party members, 6 NDP, 1 Liberal, and 1 Independent.

Retirement of Sergeant-at-Arms

On the final day of the Sitting, Speaker McLeod delivered a tribute to the retiring Sergeant-at-Arms, Rudy Couture. Mr. Couture, who began his service with the Legislative Assembly as the Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms in October 2001, had been appointed Sergeant-at-Arms in 2003, at the start of the 31sl Legislative Assembly.

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