The Yukon legislature has quietly tabled the establishment of a citizens’ forum to recommend changes to the electoral system in the territory.

A committee was established last April to examine establishing a citizens’ assembly following a territory-wide survey on electoral changes.

The final report of the committee was tabled Tuesday in the legislature.

The committee consisted of three members. Those were NDP Leader Kate White, official Opposition Leader Currie Dixon, and cabinet minister John Streicker from the governing Liberals.

The motion to establish the committee has not yet been debated and voted on.

Tim Kucharuk, a representative of the Yukon Party, said the matter could be debated as soon as next week.

Until then, he said, the party preferred not to comment on it.

He said he is sure the parties will have a lot to say about it at that time.

White told the Star this morning the concept of the assembly was part of the original Confidence and Supply Agreement struck between the NDP and Liberals in the spring of 2021.

At the time, the focus was more on whether electoral reform was feasible rather than specifically on creating a citizens’ forum.

Initially, White said, she wasn’t a fan of the concept of the assembly, but changed her mind as she processed more information, particularly from the public.

Now, she’s enthusiastic about the idea of more public involvement.

“Sometimes it’s best to take the politicians out it,” she said with a laugh.

White noted she didn’t expect the Yukon Party to throw its support behind the project, as its representative was the dissenting vote, and hasn’t been supportive since the subject was first approached.

According to the report, the Yukon Citizens’ Assembly’s (YCA) decision on voting systems must reflect the importance of balance for rural and urban representation.

The YCA’s recommended model must be consistent with both the Constitution of Canada and the Canadian parliamentary system.

One important provision of the forum is that if it recommends adopting a model that is different from the current model, it must recommend only one model and provide a detailed description and explanation of the proposed new electoral system in its final report.

The report suggests the YCA may consult with Yukoners and provide the public with the opportunity to make submissions in writing and orally at public meetings.

The YCA needs to be established by the legislature before work can begin.

If that happens, the YCA is scheduled to present its final report by Oct. 31, 2024. It could issue interim reports in the meantime.

The assembly could have a membership as large as 38 people, with up to two individuals representing each of the 19 electoral districts in the Yukon, selected randomly from the 1,793 respondents who declared their willingness to participate on the YCA in the census of all Yukon residents aged 16 years and over conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics earlier this year.

Alternate representatives can also be appointed for each district.

The report suggest YCA members’ travel and accommodation expenses for meetings should be reimbursed, and members should receive an honourarium of $200 per meeting day.