Yukon Liberal Leader Sandy Silver put forth a motion in legislature Monday that would have the government inform Yukoners about a contract that had Silver raising questions.

In a debate last week, Silver brought up a sole-source contract for $50,000 issued last July by the Executive Council Office.

The contract was to a company called Temple Scott Associates, a public relations and government relations firm based out of Ontario.

The Yukon government’s contract registry states the company is providing “government monitoring and advisory services,” and that the project manager is Michael Hale, the cabinet office’s chief of staff.

Premier Darrell Pasloski avoided Silver’s inquiries about the purpose of the contract, and what services the company would be providing.

Silver pushed on, asking why the contract issued by a public service is being managed by the chief of staff.

“This is not an anomaly,” Pasloski said at the time.

But cabinet spokesperson Dan Macdonald said Pasloski’s comment was spoken out of turn.

“The premier was relying on advice of his staff. The contract was not something that was brought to him,” Macdonald said.

For this government, having a political staff member’s name attached to such a contract is a first, Macdonald said.

The contract itself was initiated to close a gap left behind from the closure of the Yukon government’s full-time office in Ottawa – with the purpose of completing intergovernmental work and relations on behalf of the territorial government.

That office closed at the end of March 2013.

“This contract is replacing those services on the ground, instead of having a full-time office,” Macdonald said.

The website for Temple Scott Associates is currently being redesigned, but Industry Canada’s website has a profile that states the company has worked extensively with government and private sector organizations to implement public relations strategies and manage comprehensive issues.

The reason Hale is on the contract is because a significant portion of the work includes co-ordinating minister-to-minister meetings, Macdonald said.

Ministerial roles are something Hale is already familiar with, Macdonald added.

Hale did not sign the contract, nor does he have spending authority on the contract, Macdonald said.

Silver’s motion presented Monday asks for specific services being provided under the contract; why Hale is named project manager; and if any product has been received by the government as a result of this work.

Liberal spokesman Jason Cunning told the Star the motion is a result of questions left unanswered last week – and the atypical notion of having a political staff member manage a public service contract.

“I find it interesting that the premier doesn’t think it is odd that a contract issued by the public service is being managed by a political appointment ...

“He doesn’t want to talk about the details or the purpose of this contract, so again, it begs more questions,” Silver said.

But according to Pasloski, Silver’s “one consistency” is that he finds “everything odd.”

The premier maintained that ensuring strong relationships between the territorial government and the federal government – which the contracted work to Temple Scott is meant to secure – is in Yukoners’ best interests.