Commissioner Doug Phillips delivered a Speech from the Throne which proved almost identical to the Yukon Party's campaign platform Thursday as MLAs convened for the first sitting of the 33rd Yukon Legislative Assembly.

Phillips, reading the speech prepared by the government, reiterated what Premier Darrell Pasloski said in speeches both in September, when he dropped the writ for the Oct. 11 election, and during the month-long campaign.

Prior to 2002, the Yukon had experienced seven years of economic recession, Phillips said to the 19 MLAs and a modestly filled public gallery.

"Rebuilding Yukon's private sector economy was job one for the two previous Yukon governments elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006,” he said.

"They put Yukon on the pathway to prosperity, and my government re-elected in 2011 wants to continue that journey.”

The government will continue to build on the four pillars of the two previous Yukon Party governments, Phillips continued. These are better quality of life, the environment, the economy and good governance.

As for housing, the hottest issue during the election campaign, Phillips referred to the specific promises the government has made.

It will build a youth shelter in Whitehorse, work with the Salvation Army to expand the capacity for the shelter or build a new shelter entirely and work with the private sector to strengthen the supply of affordable rental units.

Alongside reiterating promises like replacing F.H. Collins Secondary School and turning Yukon College into a university, the speech tackled one of the biggest challenges in the territory: energy.

"Yukon's energy needs are real and immediate, and my government is committed to investing in short, medium and long-term solutions,” Phillips said.

For the shorter timeline, the government is promising to complete the Mayo B hydro project, develop an independent power producer policy and net metering.

Phillips said it will also develop a natural gas industry, as well as geothermal, wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric projects.

Long-term projects were much more lofty, including a commitment to construct a large-scale hydro-electric project and tie into Alaska's and British Columbia's power grids.

Rookie Yukon Party MLA David Laxton became the Speaker yesterday.

He said he is "truly humbled” by the faith the assembly has put in him.

He asked the MLAs to refrain from asking "clever questions” and evading answers just for the sake of being tricky.

Being useful is more courageous, he said.

For 12 of the 19 MLAs, it was their first day in the assembly.

The nine-day sitting will end Dec. 15. The next sitting day is Monday, beginning at 1 p.m.

Phillips was no stranger to the floor of the legislature Thursday, having sat in the late John Ostashek's 1992-96 Yukon Party government.

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