Yukon.

• Author: Kolody, Linda
• Position: Legislative Reports

2022 Spring Sitting

The 2022 Spring Sitting of the First Session of the 35th Yukon Legislative Assembly began on March 3 and is scheduled to conclude on April 28, the 32nd sitting day of the Sitting.

Government bills

Pursuant to Standing Order 74, the following government bills were introduced by the fifth sitting day (the deadline for the introduction of government legislation to be dealt with during a given Sitting):

* Bill No. 11, Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act (2022)--Tracy-Anne McPhee

* Bill No. 12, Income Tax Amendments Act, (2022) Sandy Silver

* Bill No. 13, Act to Amend the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act (2022)--Ms. McPhee

* Bill No. 14, Act to Amend the Legal Profession Act, 2017(2022)--Ms. McPhee

* Bill No. 15, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2022--Ms. McPhee

* Bill No. 203, Third Appropriation Act 2021-22--Mr. Silver

* Bill No. 204, First Appropriation Act 2022-23--Mr. Silver

* Bill No. 205, Interim Supply Appropriation Act 202223 --Mr. Silver

In addition, Bill No. 3, Act to Amend the Assessment and Taxation Act and the Municipal Act (2021) (Richard Mostyn), which had received second reading in the 2021 Fall Sitting, remained on the Order Paper at the outset of the 2022 Spring Sitting. During the present Sitting, the bill was considered in Committee of the Whole, and on March 16, was reported from Committee of the Whole, with amendment.

Unusually, by March 31--the seventeenth sitting day of the 2022 Spring Sitting--all government bills, with the exception of the main appropriation bill, had progressed through all stages, and been assented to by Commissioner Angelique Bernard. At the time of writing, only the main appropriation bill (Bill No. 204) remains on the Order Paper, with departmental budgets receiving scrutiny in Committee of the Whole.

Temporary limitation on the use of the guillotine

On March 8, 2022, the Government House Leader, John Streicker, moved a motion (Motion No. 282) to amend Standing Order 76--a standing order commonly referred to as "the guillotine clause"--for the duration of the 2022 Spring Sitting. Motion No. 282 sought to restrict the use of Standing Order 76 by having the standing order apply only to appropriation bills, rather than to all types of government bills. The motion was adopted (17 yea, nil nay).

As two of the three appropriation bills introduced during the Sitting have already received assent, the only bill that is eligible to be identified under the...