'We've already been doing that,' Premier Dennis Fentie told reporters in response to several questions regarding the government's agenda announced in Thursday's Speech from the Throne.

The seven-page speech took Commissioner Geraldine Van Bibber approximately 15 minutes to read to the assembly and about 40 people in the visitor's gallery.

The speech was laced with references to the Yukon Party's campaign slogan of 'Imagine Tomorrow' and reminding Yukoners of the pillars of their platform: achieving a better quality of life by building healthy, safe communities with skilled and adaptable people; protecting the Yukon's environment and wildlife while mitigating the impacts of climate change; promoting a strong and diversified private sector economy; and, practising good governance with strong fiscal management.

'My government received a second mandate from the people of Yukon to continue to advance and keep the territory on its current pathway of growth and prosperity,' stated the speech.

There were few surprises in the document, which highlighted the government's intention to continue to implement its Substance Abuse Action Plan, Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods legislation and the therapeutic problem-solving court all items announced during its last four-year mandate.

The Yukon Party's 2002-2006 term in office was an opportunity to lay ground work, said Fentie.

'This is going to be a very aggressive type of mandate for us in getting our work done.'

The Yukon Party government will also be working to deliver expanded home care servicing, reopening the Thomson Centre and establishing a palliative care unit, said the speech. Again, announcements made prior to Fentie dropping the writ for the Oct. 10 general election.

Health care facilities and seniors' facilities will be built in Watson Lake, Dawson City and Haines Junction, the speech added; projects started in the government's first mandate, but as yet uncompleted. Teslin has now also been added to the list.

'We're going to be very diligent that we deliver what we said we were going to deliver,' said Fentie.

The premier picked child care, early learning, the environment and climate change as topics to highlight during a briefing with reporters following the Throne Speech.

'We want to get busy on the issues of early learning and child care,' he said.

The speech committed to delivering a territory-wide child care and early learning strategy for children and parents.

It also indicated the government will be expanding support services for families with children with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and Down syndrome.

The re-elected Yukon Party government will also strive to make the territory renowned for its innovative steps to address climate change, added the speech.

The party's election promise of building a climate change research centre at Yukon College was highlighted, as was increasing the monitoring and data collection on wildlife.

'In 2002, the election was much about economic leadership,' said Fentie. 'The territory was a total mess when it comes to our economy.

'People were leaving the territory, investment was scared away and we had double-digit unemployment figures. That has been turned around over the first mandate by this Yukon Party government.

'Now we want to focus on what other priorities are for Yukoners and climate change and our environment are of the highest priority for Yukon people and it is very much about our future.'

The environment and the economy are closely connected, he added.

'One of the greatest economic engines going in today's world is research and development, and that's why we are going to seek out whatever measure we can to establish this type of centre of excellence in the Yukon.'

There will be a continued focus on growing a prosperous economy, said Fentie.

'We have every confidence that we are going to continue to grow, especially in the private sector, which means Yukon's own-source revenues will continue to increase as they have over the last four years.'

The oil, gas and resource sector, as well as tourism, will continue to drive robust economic activity for the foreseeable future, stated the speech.

It means the territory will be competing with new challenges, said Fentie.

'It wasn't that long ago, four years ago, when we have a lot of people looking for jobs. Today's Yukon has a lot of jobs looking for people. I think that's a positive challenge to have.'

The territory will also have to address land access to address the continued population growth of the territory, he said.

The speech committed to '...making land available to Yukoners for community, residential, recreational, agricultural, commercial and industrial purposes while respecting the interests of existing land holders.'

There will be a streamlined application process, it added.

'We don't want the lack of that type of land availability to impede economic growth,' said Fentie, adding that lot availability is a prerequisite to the Yukon's prosperity.

Moving forward the work of government will be available for public scrutiny, said Fentie, and the government will work hard.

The Yukon Party was re-elected to a majority government on Oct. 10, taking 10 of the 18 seats in the legislative assembly.

It is the first time a party has received a second mandate since 1989, when Tony Penikett's New Democrats were re-elected.

The Liberals are forming the official Opposition with five seats in the assembly, while the NDP has three.

The 12-day fall sitting of the 32nd legislative assembly will conclude on Dec. 13 and will debate supplementary budgets and some amendments to the Income Tax Act.

See opposition parties' reaction, p. 9; editorial, p. 18.