Buckway was elected to represent the
riding of
Lake Laberge in a
by-election in 1999 as a member of the
Yukon Liberal Party following the resignation of
Doug Livingston from the
Yukon Legislative Assembly. Her victory gave the Yukon Liberal Party enough seats to displace the
Yukon Party as the Official Opposition. She was appointed critic for the Department of Government Services, the Public Service Commission, the Department of Renewable Resources, and the Yukon Housing Corporation. Buckway retained the seat in the
2000 election, which saw the Yukon Liberal Party form government. She served as both the Minister of Justice and as the Minister of Community and Transportation Services in the government of
Pat Duncan. However, she was defeated by
Brad Cathers of the
Yukon Party in the
2002 election. ==Personal life==