Yukon premier attacks MP over gun registry vote

Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie and his MLAs have launched attacks against Larry Bagnell, the territory's member of Parliament, for voting to save the long-gun registry this week.

Fentie and other Yukon Party MLAs accused Bagnell, a Liberal, of going against the interest of Yukoners by voting to scrap a Conservative backbencher's bill to abolish the controversial gun registry.

The motion to quash the bill by Manitoba Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner narrowly passed in the House of Commons on Wednesday by a vote of 153-151.

Liberal MPs applauded when Bagnell, who has long opposed the long-gun registry, stood up to support the motion scrapping Hoeppner's bill, therefore saving the registry from being axed.

By contrast, when the issue came to a vote on May 15, 2009, Bagnell voted in favour of scrapping the long-gun registry.

Yukoners can't trust Liberals: Fentie

"We don't change our mind, like the Liberals, on the long-gun registry. We didn't hide from our verbal commitments to Yukoners. We backed it up with action," Fentie said in the legislature on Thursday.

"It is about trust and the Liberals are all in it together," the premier added. "Yukoners cannot trust them."

Bagnell sided with his boss, federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, on the Wednesday's vote. Ignatieff had made the gun-registry matter a whipped vote, meaning all of his MPs must vote the same way or face discipline.

In the Yukon legislature on Thursday, Klondike Yukon Party MLA Steve Nordick presented a motion demanding that Bagnell return to the territory to explain his actions.

Nordick said Bagnell should tell his constituents "why he chose to follow the dictates of the Liberal Party leader, Michael Ignatieff, and breach his commitment with Yukoners by voting to save the long gun registry."

'Sad comment,' Liberal leader says

Later on Thursday afternoon, when Yukon Liberal MLAs questioned Fentie about big raises the territorial government gave to Yukon Hospital Corp. board members including chairman Craig Tuton, aYukon Party organizer the premier responded with another attack on Bagnell's decision to back the long-gun registry.

Fentie accused Bagnell of making a commitment to Yukoners "when soliciting their votes" that he would oppose the registry.

"Obviously, once he's received the paycheque, [he] has entirely changed his mind," Fentie said.

Territorial Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell said Fentie is trying to stir up animosity against all the Yukon's Liberals a tactic Mitchell said will not work.

"It's a very sad comment that the premier makes. He lowers himself and loses dignity when he makes comments like that," he said.

Mitchell said the territorial Liberals have always opposed the long-gun registry.