Fentie support unwavering after heroin news - Action News
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Fentie support unwavering after heroin news

Dozens of Yukon Party supporters gathered at the Yukon Legislature on Monday to defend Premier Dennis Fentie.

Dozens of Yukon Party supporters gathered at the Yukon Legislature on Monday to defend Premier Dennis Fentie.

Some of them were loud and vocal in attacking the media for reporting information about the premier's legal history in Alberta more than 25 years ago.

Fentie was cheered as he entered the legislature Monday, the first sitting since it was reported in last Friday's Yukon News that he had spent time in jail for heroin trafficking when he was 24 years old.

He did prison time and has since been pardoned.

Fentie told reporters dealing with the revelations has not been easy.

"I'm quite embarrassed about my past to be honest with you," he said.

But Fentie says what happened more than 25 years ago doesn't affect the job he's doing now as premier.

He showed a travel visa issued to him by the United States government which he says guarantees he can cross the American border.

The Yukon Party caucus voted unanimously to back the premier on Monday.

In the meantime Fentie's supporters are attacking the media for continuing coverage of his past.

Smiley Ford singled out the Yukon News.

"Their agenda is to bring down this government," Ford said. "I've watched them bring other governments down. They brought the Liberals down. They brought the NDP down.

"It must be a hell of an ego trip to be non-elected and have the power to take down an elected body. That's what they're up to this time," Ford added.

"It's a sleazy campaign and it's a personal attack."