Speaker Ted Staffen has announced the dates of the annual sitting of the youth parliament.

The April 19-21 schedule includes time slots set aside for the teenagers to observe question period in the legislative assembly.

It's an inclusion the opposition parties are crying foul at, because Premier Dennis Fentie has not yet announced when the members of the assembly will convene for the spring sitting.

Staffen, has in essence, told Yukon high school students and teachers when the house will be meeting before even telling the MLAs, Liberal house leader Gary McRobb said today.

'This approach abuses the traditional practice of the legislature,' said McRobb.

'Announcing a youth parliament and adding, by the way, the legislature will be reconvening that day is arrogant and highlights the one-way street approach to co-operation demonstrated by the Yukon Party government.'

NDP house leader Steve Cardiff agreed, saying the backward notification shows someone has known the date of the sitting for some time and not seen fit to give the opposition parties the respect of being told the timeline.

'We've been anxiously waiting, along with NGOs, to hear when the legislature will go back and when we'll get to see the budget,' said Cardiff. 'To get a notice in this way is a little disturbing.'

Fentie is required to give the MLAs at least two weeks' notice prior to the start of a sitting.

For the house to meet on April 19, which currently shows the youth parliamentarians as attending question period, Fentie must make the announcement by this Thursday.

The March 29 notice sent out to individual MLAs by Staffen goes on to invite the members to meet the youth participants for lunch on April 19 'from noon until the house sits at 1 p.m.'

Staffen, however, said today the schedule and letter are not meant to indicate the assembly will actually be meeting on those days.

'It's a mistake,' said Staffen, adding he simply took the schedule and letter from last year and changed the dates to match those chosen for the 2007 session.

'I'm guilty,' he said,. 'I had to get the schedule out to get participation. Youth parliament will go on whether or not the house is sitting.'

He added when the house sits is up to the premier and isn't influenced by the dates of the youth parliament.

The program is instead scheduled to coincide with the territory's education week, said Staffen.

The program is part of the Speaker's education outreach program and is aimed at educating high school students on the operation of the legislature.

The curriculum includes team building exercises, meeting with each of the parties and their leaders, presentations on parliamentary procedure, constitutional development and the role of the media, debate of four motions put before the youth parliament and observing the legislative assembly in action.

Last year, the program returned after a 16-year hiatus and attracted 14 students from around the territory.

Staffen said he hopes to have 18 this year with the goal of one young person from each of the Yukon's ridings.