A motion aimed at improving the family lives of MLAs by decreasing the number of sitting hours in the legislative assembly was scheduled for debate this afternoon.

The motion was put forward by Yukon Party MLA Elaine Taylor on Tuesday on behalf of the new non-partisan women's caucus. It aims to shorten the day in the legislature by 30 minutes, moving the house's adjournment to 5:30 p.m.

'This is really about family and the recognition of the importance of family and making accommodations for family while serving the people of the Yukon,' Taylor told a news conference on Tuesday.

If the change is agreed to this afternoon, the new adjournment time would become effective this Monday.

NDP MLA Lorraine Peter said she was hopeful the change may attract more women to consider running in the pending territorial election.

But a shortened sitting day to allow MLAs to get home for dinner and their children's evening activities would not just benefit the women in the house, said Pat Duncan, the Liberal representative for Porter Creek South.

Mayo-Tatchun MLA Eric Fairclough has three children, ranging from 18 months old to 16 years. He has spent 10 years in the legislative assembly, and told the Star he has often found the long hours difficult.

'That half-hour would make it better for me,' Fairclough acknowledged.

NDP Leader Todd Hardy said the hours of the sittings and the meetings and appearances that drag into the evenings and weekends when serving as an elected representative can often be a difficulty for parents.

Both Hardy and his wife, Louise, served as public figures while raising their four children. Louise was the Yukon's NDP MP from 1997 to 2000.

The choice to be involved in politics had an impact on his children and family life, said Todd Hardy, adding the challenges were often huge.

The motion is about allowing some level of quality of life to MLAs while continuing to serve in the public eye, he said.

'I truly believe this is one of the tiniest things that can happen,' he said. 'It's removing barriers that exist when running.'

The gruelling hours can be a deterrent to single mothers or parents of young families considering entering the political life, said Hardy. Moving the day's end back from 6 p.m. may help address one small area of concern, he said.

If agreed to, this wouldn't be the first time the sitting hours of the legislative assembly have been revised.

The house currently meets Monday through Thursday from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.

Previously, the assembly sat Monday through Thursday from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and would then reconvene in the evenings on Monday and Wednesday from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m.

There have also been morning sessions in the past. MLAs meet for spring and fall sittings of several weeks each.

The sitting times were last changed in 2002 to eliminate the evening debates.

Southern Lakes MLA Patrick Rouble told the Star he thinks the motion is a great idea if it does prove to attract more women and young people to territorial politics.

'It's important to have more people who are female, or young people, to be more diverse,' said the Yukon Party member.

Opposition Leader Arthur Mitchell agreed. 'We want to attract the best and brightest to the assembly.'

Making the assembly a little more family-friendly is one way to do that, he said.

Hardy, however, said though he will be voting in favour of the motion, a broader approach needs to be taken to truly improve the atmosphere in the legislature.

The legislature often breeds an environment of adversity that many people do not want to work in, said Hardy.

The three women MLAs agreed, telling Tuesday's news conference the way the parties are seen to treat each other on the floor of the assembly can often be a turnoff for prospective candidates.

'They see how women are treated in this environment,' said Peter. 'We're definitely in a men's world.'

Mitchell, however, said taking a narrow approach at this time is probably the best course of action.

'Sometimes when something gets coupled to something else, you don't get anything done, because it's too complicated,' he said.

The women's caucus didn't want to tackle amending the whole of the house's standing orders that regulate the assembly's practices this sitting, said Duncan.

The newly-formed caucus, however, does have ideas on other changes it would like to see it may pursue in the future, she said.

A discussion for the next sitting of the legislature may be the possibility of convening the house earlier in the day to make up for the two hours a week of debate that will be lost if the women's caucus motion is passed this afternoon.

Fairclough said his only concern with the motion is the impact it may have on the time available to discuss legislation. Over the course of a sitting, the time change means just over three days of debate will be lost.

'There's already a lot that has to be done in a short time,' said Fairclough.

Some time will be lost, Duncan agreed, but by working a little harder and focusing on debate that effectively uses the time available, it should be feasible to move ahead effectively.

'It's incumbent on all of us to focus our energies and to focus our debates,' she said.