Yukon parties weigh in on possible minority government

Yukon's Liberal Party and NDP say they're open to working with other parties, if nobody wins a majority government in Monday's vote. The Yukon Party, however, avoidsthe question.

Aminority government is a very real possibility, for any of the three major parties. According to the one independent poll that's been done this campaign, it's a tight race with the Yukon Party and Liberals virtually tied out in front, and the NDP just slightly behind.

• Yukon election poll shows tight race, with NDP trailing

• Yukon Votes 2016: More coverage from CBC North

With 19 seats in the legislative assembly, a party needs to win at least 10 to form a majority. What may be just as likely on Monday, though, is a less decisive win say, seven seats for one party, and six each for the others.

If it happens, it would be the first time in more than two decadesYukonerselected a minority government, and only the second time since party politics wereintroduced in the territory in 1978.

So what happens then?

'A lot of different scenarios'

Floyd McCormick, the clerk of Yukon's legislative assembly, declined an interview with CBC about the possibility of a minority government, calling it "speculative" at this point.

But he did acknowledge "there's a lot of different scenarios that could play out."

It's possible that even after all the votes are counted on Monday night, Yukoners might not know who will form the government, or be premier.

Even if a party wins the mostseats, if they don't achieve a majority,it would be up to the other partiesto determine whether that party could actually govern.

It maydepend on who's willing to work with whom.

"Over the last few years, we've had people talking about this," said NDP leader Liz Hanson, whose party had six seats in the legislature before dissolution."The objective is, can you find common ground to work on the key issues? We are very clear about the things we think are priorities.

"I've never said my door's shut, my door's always open."

Liberal leader Sandy Silver, who held his party's only seat before dissolution, isalso signaling a willingness to co-operate, at least theoretically.

"Myfather always told me never to start a fight but always finish one.So we will defend ourselves whenever we're attacked, but that doesn't mean that we wouldn't work together," he said.

"We have people in this party that come from the left and comefrom the right. We have conversations all the time that are hard conversations and we want to work together to not polarise Yukoners."

The Yukon Party, looking to win its fourth straight majority, is less willing to muse about cooperation.

"The Yukon Party is focused on its plan for keeping life affordable for Yukon families and our intention is to form a majority government," party spokesperson Ted Laking said in a statement to CBC.

If no majority is reached, and there's little willingness among parties to co-operate, Yukon commissioner Doug Phillips might be called on to settle the matter something that's never happened in Yukon.

There's also the possibility of another election, sooner rather than later.

None of the parties have mentioned the word "coalition."

Minorities happen

Yukon has had minority governments before, but they don't necessarily point to how things may unfold this time. Each onehas been a little different.

The first was in 1985, when Tony Penikett's NDP won eight of the legislature's 16 seats exactly half (the Liberals won two seats, and the Progressive Conservatives won six). Elections Yukon called it a minority government, but within two years it had become a majority, after a by-election delivered another New Democrat to the legislature.

The next and last time Yukoners elected a minority government was in 1992 when John Ostashek's Yukon Party (formerly the Progressive Conservatives) won seven of 17 seats. That governmentmanagedto serve a full four-year term, with the support of some independent MLAs(three were elected) including Willard Phelps a former Yukon Progressive Conservative leader who became a minister in Ostashek's cabinet.

Pat Duncan's Liberal government was elected as a majority in 2000, but within two years had been reduced to a minority by party defections. Duncan called an early election in 2002, and lost to the Yukon Party.

It's been Yukon Party majorities ever since.