As Brad Cathers has now confirmed and made public, Premier Dennis Fentie has been lying all along about the YEC/ATCO affair and that is only the tip of a very dirty little iceberg.
Cathers’ resignation and subsequent statements confirm what many of us have known for a long while: the internal workings of this government are broken and democracy has been usurped by Fentie.
But now that the “jig is up” and all doubt cast aside as to who was and is continuing to lie, there can only be two reasons for the remaining ministers to stay in government: their own self-interest or the party, neither of which is acceptable, ever. At no time can self-interest or party take precedence over Yukon and, as a person with Yukon at heart, I consider it unforgiveable.
At this critical juncture when Yukoners find themselves with a premier who is far less than honourable, orchestrating a dysfunctional government, any minister who doesn’t resign and make every effort to correct the situation, as Cathers is doing, should be ashamed.
Every day they remain is a mark against their integrity and paints them with the same brush as Fentie.
I don’t honestly think the Yukon Party can survive the damage Fentie has wreaked, but if all the ministers had resigned immediately following Cathers’ revelations there might have been a chance. Now that a week has passed with no additional resignations I think that true Yukoners, meaning those that put Yukon above party politics and personal gain, have little to no respect for what is left of the Yukon Party. I think last week was the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back.”
So what is left for the remaining ministers? Well, using Keith Halliday’s Benjamin Franklin quote, “Hang together, or hang separately,” they quite possibly will all hang. I know and have worked with most of the ministers and feel the ones who resign this week will have a modicum of a chance continuing in politics, but for the ones that don’t, I think their political careers will be over.
The ones that stay on, supporting the Fentie regime, send a clear message that they are placing themselves or their party ahead of what is best for Yukon, and that is an unforgiveable sin.
Greg Hakonson
Dawson City