After two sittings ending in rapid-fire questions and mountains of motions, the NDP took a quieter route this year.

'Quiet doesn't mean defeat,' Hardy said Wednesday afternoon following the spring sitting's last question period.

'People who are actually at peace with where they are at are often quiet. People that are desperate, that are frantic, are often very noisy.'

On the last day of sitting in the spring of 2005, Hardy and the NDP fired 23 questions at the Yukon Party government.

At the end of the fall 2005 sitting, last December, 17 motions were tabled by the party before question period even started.

This year, however, Hardy, now sitting as the leader of the third party rather than the official Opposition, stood and asked two questions followed by the allowed supplementaries to each.

First, Hardy asked about 'government attitude'. He drew reference to the Yukon Party's performance on issues related to drug abuse, job creation, education concerns, lack of child care spaces, health care professional shortages and chaos in land disposition.

'Yukoners who wanted change in 2002 feel let down by this government,' Hardy told the house.

'They feel let down because so much of their tax money has been wasted and so many opportunities have been lost.'

Next, Hardy asked about the cancellation of the federal EnerGuide program, which was aimed at helping Canadians reduce their energy costs and combat climate change.

Hardy asked Premier Dennis Fentie to follow the lead of Quebec and New Brunswick and provide funding so Yukoners could continue to have access to the program within the territory.

The mandate of the Yukon Party has been one of 'profound disappointment', said Hardy.

The Yukon Party's upcoming campaign message may be one of moving forward and 'We represent the public interest, not political self-interest'; the Liberals are saying 'People come first', but the NDP is not overly interested in the theatrics, he said.

'I think substance is needed,' said Hardy. 'We don't have to always be on show with people. Trying to get attention to ourselves.'

If the NDP had a slogan for the pending territorial campaign, it would likely be similar to last election's 'One Community', he said. He added, though, he's also not overly interested in coming up with a 'cute catch phrase.'

Yukoners have real concerns about children, bills that need to be paid, roofs over their heads, food on the table, the increasing numbers of part-time lower-paying jobs, and where the government is headed, he said.

The Liberal party also had questions about how the Yukon Party has spent the first 3 1/2 years of its four-year mandate.

Party Leader Arthur Mitchell used Tuesday's question period to list off the Children's Act review, Education Act review and the Workers' Compensation Act review as all incomplete projects.

During Wednesday's question period, the party instead spent the time asking questions about more specific issues.

Mitchell queried on when the government will follow up on the recommendations of Information and Privacy Commissioner Hank Moorlag on amendments needed to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (ATIPP).

The government's cancellation of the review of the ATIPP legislation is yet another example of an incomplete project by the Yukon Party, said Mitchell.

The Yukon Party cancelled proposed amendments to the territory's Liquor Act another incomplete, said Mitchell.

An agreement to move forward on the party's platform commitment to create whistleblower legislation also incomplete, he added.

'They blame the opposition. They blame the federal government. It's always someone else's fault. The fact remains that the Yukon Party government promised and has not delivered,' said Mitchell.

Gary McRobb, the former NDP MLA turned Liberal, stood and asked questions on the health care system in the territory. He took aim at the shortage of family physicians and the number of orphaned patients in the Yukon, the inability of nurse practitioners from the territory to get jobs and funding to the Whitehorse General Hospital.

'Yukoners are not interested in excuses,' he said. 'They want to be able to see a doctor when they need one. This government has failed to deliver. I don't know which one is longer: this government's list of excuses or the growing list of orphan patients.'

On her turn, Pat Duncan, the Liberal representative for Porter Creek South, asked questions regarding the Whitehorse Correctional Centre.

Duncan's former Liberal government had created a design for a new correctional centre and even begun turning the dirt before the Yukon Party took office in late 2002.

'The Yukon Party government cancelled the project and spent $1.4 million on repairs to a building that was independently assessed as being beyond repair and embarked upon something called correctional reform, spending another $1.2 million,' she said.

'The conclusion of that report: a new facility was required and programming the Yukon Party said they were delivering was inadequate.'

Duncan, however, used her last supplementary question to inquire: 'Is the premier proud of his government's record? Yes or no?'

As a giveaway question, in what may be the last sitting of the legislative assembly prior to the next territorial election, Duncan handed Fentie the opportunity to toot the accomplishments of his government and ministers.

Justice Minister John Edzerza has worked toward establishing true correctional reform in the territory, said Fentie, and has put great effort into education reform.

Economic Development Minister Jim Kenyon is to be credited for the 'dramatic turnaround of the Yukon's economy,' he said.

Elaine Taylor, the Tourism Minister and Minister responsible for the Public Service Commission and the Women's Directorate, has been 'doing yeoman duty in making sure her portfolios are advancing and improving,' added Fentie.

The cabinet's youngest member, Brad Cathers, the Minister of Health and Social Services who took over the duty in the wake of Klondike MLA Peter Jenkin's departure from the party late last year, has shown dedication to truly assisting Yukoners in their needs, stated the premier.

Archie Lang, Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, has done a tremendous amount to bring the industry back to this territory, said Fentie.

'I present them to the Yukon public. I am very proud of each and every one of them,' said Fentie.

Following question period, Fentie told reporters he is most proud of the $793-million budget, the largest in the Yukon's history, and the important pieces of legislation passed through the house this session.

The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, and legislation to allow Dawson City to hold a municipal election in June, highlighted the bills passed through the legislature this spring.

'I'm very comfortable with the trends that are happening,' he said.

'I think the Yukon, overall, is heading in a direction that is continuing to improve. It's all about how government can complement what is happening in today's Yukon and carrying forward with the appropriate investments in budgets and the appropriate legislation.'

Hardy said his caucus' ability to hold together during a difficult sitting was a highlight for him and something he is most proud of.

Hardy ousted McRobb and Mayo-Tatchun MLA Eric Fairclough from the NDP caucus just prior to the sitting after he learned they had been consulting constituents about their political futures and presenting the Liberal party as an option after being in talks with Mitchell for months.

McRobb moved over to the Liberals prior to the sitting, but Fairclough initially sat as an independent until May 1. Joining the Liberals, the NDP lost official Opposition status in the house.

'We've been tested and we had to reach deeper and find out who we really are,' said Hardy.

But the caucus is stronger now, the party is stronger and the NDP managed to continue to conduct itself ethically and with civility in the house, he said.

It was the first full sitting for Mitchell, the yearling party leader who earned a seat in the assembly in the Copperbelt byelection in late 2005.

Mitchell said some good things were accomplished in the budget and some positives came out of passed legislation.

The Safer Communities act and the Substance Abuse Action Plan topped his list. But there is still concern, he said.

'An awful lot of things haven't happened and now they aren't going to happen,' he said.

Fentie, however, said not to count out a fall sitting of the assembly and a supplementary budget.

He smiled when asked. 'It's likely, but it's not a decision that will be made today. Possibly. Stay tuned.'

A general election must be called by November.

See related coverage, p. 4.