Yukon MLAs pare down agenda to pass key budget bills faster

Yukon's political parties will skip partof their daily routine in the Legislative Assembly in order to ensure government departments receive funding.

That's the result of a deal between the three parties which will mean departments get operating funds, government workers get paid, and contracts go out to tender.

"I do want to thank both the NDP and the Yukon Party for quickly working together to make sure that the finances ...which have huge implications for the business community, can flow," Premier Sandy Silver said at a news conference Monday.

Under the arrangement, MLAs will skip non-essential House business, such as tributes andministerial statements, and proceeddirectly to question period. A scheduled day to debate private members business has also been postponed.

All parties are concerned about the impact of the novelcoronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic on Yukon's economy, said Scott Kent, the Yukon Party's House leader.

"We're trying to get these money bills dealt with and make sure that those dollars can get out to and start to flow,"Kent said.

MLAs passed two bills Monday, one to tie up loose ends from last fiscal year, and another that ensures interim government funding for the next two months. Both are standard pieces of legislation.

"We are dealing with a rather uncertain times right now so we absolutely agree that we should move to get [these bills] passed quicker than we normally would," said NDP MLA Liz Hanson.

There are no immediate plans to suspend the current legislative sitting over COVID-19. But the Legislative Assembly on Monday closed the public viewing area to visitors.