The 24th Yukon Legislative Assembly convened in 1978,Steven Smyth, The Yukon's Constitutional Foundations: Volume One, The Yukon Chronology (1897-1999). Clairedge Press, 1999. This is the first conventional legislature in the history of Canada's Yukon Territory and the first one with organized along political party lines following the passage of the Yukon Elections Act in 1977. The Progressive Conservatives led by Hilda Watson who won led the party to victory in the 1978 territorial election, in which she was the party's candidate in the electoral district of Kluane. However, she did not win her riding, and therefore did not become government leader."Leader loses, but Tories win first party-line election in Yukon". The Globe and Mail, November 22, 1978. After the election, four of the elected members in the Progressive Conservative Party, including Chris Pearson, were added to the Executive Committee headed by Commissioner Art Pearson. In October 1979, at the instruction of Jake Epp, Federal Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, the Commissioner withdrew from direct government administration; Chris Pearson became Government Leader (equal to Premier), added a fifth member of the PC Party caucus, and formed the Executive Council of Yukon, thus beginning responsible government with an elected head of government in The Yukon. Art Pearson would later resign as Commissioner after pleading guilty to charges related to improper mining claim transfers and was replaced with Frank Fingland.
Membership in the 24th Assembly The following members were elected to the 24th Yukon Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1978:Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 1978 General Election Elections Yukon, 1978. Retrieved March 26, 2021 MemberPartyElectoral districtFirst elected / previously electedNo. of termsRobert FlemingIndependentCampbell19742nd termProgressive ConservativeMaurice ByblowIndependentFaro19781st termNDPAl FalleProgressive ConservativeHootalinqua19781st termMeg McCallProgressive ConservativeKlondike19781st termAlice McGuireLiberalKluane19781st termSwede HansonProgressive ConservativeMayo19781st termGrafton NjootliProgressive ConservativeOld Crow19781st termIndependentHoward TraceyProgressive ConservativeTatchun19781st termDon TaylorProgressive ConservativeWatson Lake19616th termGeoff LattinProgressive ConservativeWhitehorse North Centre19781st termDaniel LangProgressive ConservativeWhitehorse Porter Creek East19742nd termDoug GrahamProgressive ConservativeWhitehorse Porter Creek West19781st termChris PearsonProgressive ConservativeWhitehorse Riverdale North19781st termIain MacKayLiberalWhitehorse Riverdale South19781st termRon Veale (1981)Liberal19811st termJack HibberdProgressive ConservativeWhitehorse South Centre19742nd termRoger Kimmerly (1981)NDP19811st termTony PenikettNDPWhitehorse West19781st term
Membership changes + Changes in seats held (1978-1982) Seat Before ChangeDateMemberPartyReasonDateMemberPartyOld CrowMay 25, 1979Grafton NjootliRemoved from PC CaucusWhitehorse Riverdale SouthJanuary 1981Iain MacKayResignationMarch 9, 1981Ron VealeCampbellApril 27, 1981Robert FlemingJoined PC CaucusFaroSeptember 16, 1981Maurice ByblowJoined NDP CaucusWhitehorse South CentreApril 15, 1981Jack HibberdResignationOctober 13, 1981Roger Kimmerly The New Democratic Party forms Official Opposition, following Whitehorse South Centre by-election."NDP's by-election win makes it Opposition". The Globe and Mail, October 15, 1981.
By-elections 2 by-elections was held in the districts of Whitehorse Riverdale South and Whitehorse South Centre in 1981.Report of the Yukon Elections Board on By-Elections to the Yukon Legislative Assembly Held in 1981 Elections Yukon, 1981 Electoral districtMember electedAffiliationElection dateReasonWhitehorse Riverdale SouthRon VealeLiberalMarch 9, 1981Iain MacKay resigned as MLA and party leader on 9 August 1980Whitehorse South CentreRoger KimmerlyNDPOctober 13, 1981Jack Hibberd resigned on 15 April 1981
References
External links Yukon Legislature