Ex-minister confirms Yukon premier's 'irate' call

Yukon Independent MLA Brad Cathers is backing claims that Premier Dennis Fentie made an angry phone call to a top environment officialearlier this year about the government's submission to the Peel Watershed Planning Commission.

Cathers, who was a high-ranking member of Fentie's cabinet until August, said Environment Minister Elaine Taylor who has denied the premier interfered with the submission was not even in the room at the time.

Both Taylor and Fentie disputed claims this week that the premier had interfered with the government's submission to the Peel commission, whch is preparing a land-use plan for the Peel River region in northeast Yukon.

A draft plan, releasedearlier this year, calls for much of the pristine wilderness region to be protected from development.

'Disrespectful' call

Email correspondence by government officials revealed that Fentie had made an angry phone call to the deputy environmentminister about a detailed Environment Department report on protecting the Peel watershed.

Commission members have said they later received a significantly reduced version of the report.

"The email was accurate in describing the premier's behaviour towards the deputy minister as 'irate,' and I'd also add 'disrespectful' to that," Cathers told CBC News on Tuesday.

"He had no interest in listening to the deputy minister's advice or opinion."

In the legislature Tuesday, Taylor did not answer opposition questions about the changed report, but she denied that Fentie's phone call had any bearing on the final document.

No political interference: Taylor

"We do not endorse political interference in the land-use planning process. In fact, we support the land-use planning process," Taylor said during question period.

But Taylor was not even present when Fentie made that phone call to the deputy minister, said Cathers.

"She was not in the room," he said. "In this case, in fairness to Elaine, the mistake she's making is taking the premier's word."

The controversy over Fentie's telephone call was one reason why Cathers quit the Yukon Party caucus in August to sit as an Independent MLA, citing a loss of faith in the premier's leadership.

Cathers said cabinet confidentiality guidelines prevent him from revealing details from Fentie's call to the deputy minister.

He also could not say if the Environment Department report was cut as a result, but he added that there is always some kind of response when a premier makes an irate phone call.