'Stay out of it,' opposition tells Yukon premier on opposing Ottawa coalition

Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie stood firm Tuesday on his opposition to a Liberal-NDP coalition government being proposed in Ottawa, despite calls by other politicians not to meddle in national affairs.

"It's not our fight. Stay out of it," Liberal Opposition Leader Arthur Mitchell said in the legislature Tuesday, accusing Fentie of picking partisan sides in the matter. Fentie leads the right-leaning Yukon party.

"Yukon needs to work co-operatively with whoever is the prime minister of the day," Mitchell said outside the assembly chamber.

On Monday, Fentie issued a news release reacting to the coalition proposal, which was signed by the federal Liberals and New Democrats earlier that day. The Bloc Québécois agreed to support a coalition government for at least 18 months.

The coalition parties would have to oust the minority Conservative government and seek the approval of Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean, in order to take power.

"Government of Yukon is concerned with plans by federal opposition parties to seize power from the democratically elected Conservative government," Fentie's release read in part.

The release also quoted the premier as saying, "Canadians did not vote for a Liberal-NDP coalition government supported by the separatist Bloc Quebecois."

Fentie stood by his statement in the legislature Tuesday. "This is not the time for political instability at the seat of our national government," he told the assembly.

Opposition members asked Fentie to be more diplomatic and less partisan about the federal government's affairs.