Opposition MLAs shrug off rebuke from Speaker of the Yukon Legislature

NDP MLA Liz Hanson is unapologetic about tabling a confidential document in the legislature last week, saying it was in the public's interest.  

Nils Clarke, Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, rebuked Hanson Monday for releasing a letter from former clerk Floyd McCormick last Tuesday.

The letter, sent Aug. 2, said the Liberal government's approach to setting up a committee on electoral reform was not fair and undermines the authority of the Legislative Assembly. 

The letter was addressed to Clarke in his role as chair of the all-party Member Services Board, which makes decisions on assembly policy, finances, and administration, including election matters. Proceedings of the Members Services Board, like those of all the Legislative Assembly's standing committees, are supposed to be secret.

"The premature publication or disclosure of committee proceedings ... is a contravention of the standing orders and may be found to constitute a contempt of the Legislative Assembly or a breach of parliamentary privilege," Clarke said.  

He said the McCormick letter will not be included in the Legislative Assembly's working papers. 

That announcement came as no surprise to Hanson. 

"Why do you think I read most of that letter, that was pertaining to electoral reform, into the record?" Hanson told reporters after Monday's sitting. "He [Clarke] cannot change Hansard. And I ... made a deliberate effort to read the salient parts of that letter." 

Hansard is the verbatim transcript of proceedings at the Legislative Assembly. 

Hanson said she tabled the letter because she got tired of waiting for the Members Services Board to address it. 

"I waited and waited for [the] Members Services Board to have a frank conversation, it did not happen." she said. 

"I don't think that the arbitrary decision by another elected member, regardless of his role, to shut that down, is democratic." 

When asked by reporters how she would react to being held in contempt of the Legislative Assembly, Hanson pulled no punches. 

"I will stand by my principles that I am elected to represent citizens and I'm elected in a democratic democracy and if somebody wants to shut me down then I want them to say publicly how and why they intend to do that. And good luck."

Opposition leader also rebuked

Speaking in the legislature, Clarke also criticized comments made last week by Yukon Party Leader Stacey Hassard that questioned Clarke's impartiality.

Hassard accused Clarke of partisanship in his role as chair of the Members Services Board. Hassard made the remarks while criticizing the government's handling of the electoral reform debate.

Clarke said such remarks are out of order.

"In the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy, the Speaker may not be criticized in debate or by any means except by way of a substantive motion."  

In an interview Monday, Hassard didn't back down from his criticism of the Speaker and of the government's handling of electoral reform. 

"I think it's concerning that the Liberals appear to be trying to hide this from the public record," he said.