Electoral reform, Government of Yukon

I originally thought that my appointment to “observe the deliberations of the British Columbia Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform, and to assess how the research, discussions and conclusions of the Assembly can inform the mandate and operation of a Yukon electoral reform commission, and how the Yukon public can be involved in discussions about the future of Yukon’s electoral system” would be a [...] I would recommend first that a plebiscite be held at the next Territorial Election on the question of whether or not the public was in favour of the formation of a Citizens’ Assembly to discuss the question of Electoral Reform. [...] Some of the major events were: • the appointment of a long-time Yukoner, a former Municipal and Territorial Councillor, Jim Smith, as Commissioner in 1966 • the continued election of Erik Nielsen as Yukon’s MP • the election of Prime Minister Trudeau, a true democrat, and the appointment of Jean Chretien, an astute politician, who learned to love the North as the Minister of Indian Affairs and Nor [...] The election of 1978 was the first held along party lines, the first to be run entirely by the Yukon Government, and the first to elect First Nation representatives, from the Old Crow and Kluane Ridings. [...] I was originally inclined to suggest a Yukon Citizens’ Assembly of 32 members: • One member to be chosen by each of the elected MLAs for a total of 18 • One member to be chosen by each of the Yukon First Nations for a total of 14 This would be exactly one-fifth of the size of the B. C. Assembly and would probably cost Yukon taxpayers in the neighbourhood of one million dollars, if the same tools a