The Yukon’s 19 MLAs from the three territorial parties with seats in the House are all expected to return in some form for debate and votes when the legislature resumes the first week of October.
Speaker Jeremy Harper, the Liberal MLA for Mayo-Tatchun, officially announced the legislative assembly starts for the fall sitting at 1 p.m. on Oct. 2.
Yukon NDP MLA for Whitehorse Centre Lane Tredger shared Sept. 18 via social media that they and their wife are expecting twins in November. They will be going to Vancouver this week until the babies are born, upon doctor’s advice, per the post.
That means Tredger will be doing sitting duties remotely (except for chairing duties). They indicated it won’t affect vote counts because Tredger can attend debate and vote via video-conference.
Tredger will still be available for constituents by phone or Zoom, according to Tredger’s Facebook post.
“Parental leave looks a little different for elected officials,” Tredger said.
After the babies are born and the sitting ends, Tredger will be on leave for December and January, returning for the 2025 spring sitting, according to the post.
Nils Clarke, who is Liberal MLA for Riverdale North, plans to go back to the legislature full-time this fall, according to Yukon government cabinet communications.
Clarke was recently out of office after being injured in an Aug. 2 vehicle crash which killed his deputy minister, Michael Prochazka. During Clarke’s recovery, ministers John Streicker and Richard Mostyn covered Clarke’s ministerial files. He has been back at work since then.
After taking medical leave, Annie Blake, the Yukon NDP MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin, will resume her seat on the first day of the session, according to Yukon NDP communications.
Blake’s June announcement on Facebook indicated she was seeking support for substance use. Yukon NDP Leader Kate White and Tredger have been filling in for Blake while she’s away. Leaders from the three main parties expressed support for Blake on her recovery.
This fall will mark the first time the territory’s elected representatives convene in the Yukon Legislative Assembly since the contentious heap leach failure at Victoria Gold’s Eagle Gold Mine north of Mayo.
Floyd McCormick, a retired clerk of the legislative assembly, noted on X, formerly Twitter, that the legislature will receive two final reports during the fall sitting: one from the Yukon Electoral District Boundaries Commission and another from the Yukon Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform.
The spring session ended with the 10-8 passing of the minority Liberal government’s $2.08-billion budget, thanks to the support of the Yukon NDP under the confidence-and-supply agreement, or CASA, between the territorial Liberals and NDP.
Shortly after, the New Democrats put the governing Liberals on “notice,” demanding the premier deliver on outstanding CASA commitments related to fertility treatment, educational assistants and teachers on call, and the land lottery system.
In a recent interview, White told the News she has too many balls in the air right now to break away from CASA, like the federal NDP recently did with the federal Liberals.
For live coverage of proceedings, members of the public can visit the legislature’s public gallery, listen live online via the Yukon Legislative Assembly’s website or tune into the live radio broadcast at 93.5 FM.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com