Premier’s anti-Liberal gibe backfires on him

The premier’s habit of attacking opponents’ credibility is often effective,

The premier’s habit of attacking opponents’ credibility is often effective, but what Dennis Fentie launched at the official Opposition during Tuesday’s budget debate exploded in his face Wednesday, opening the door to his own criminal past.

Nearing the end of legislative proceedinigs on Tuesday, Fentie and Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell were engaged in yet another credibility match-up when the Civil Forfeiture Act – passage of which has since been delayed – became the focus of the pair’s banter.

Fentie questioned the company Liberals were keeping when that party’s members appeared at a May 6 protest against the proposed act.

“What came our way – from a very reputable source – was one of the demonstrators holding a sign while the Liberal caucus was out trumpeting their ever-changing views ... had recently been released from the Whitehorse Correctional Centre,” Fentie said. “It only gives one pause to reflect on all of this and what it really was.”

That day, MLAs from both the Liberals and NDP attended and spoke at the rally organized by Yukoners for Civil Freedom, a newly formed group which wants the proposed Civil Forfeiture Act scrapped.

The group also managed to gather more than 2,000 like-minded citizens to sign a petition which was presented to the legislature later that day.

What has riled Yukoners for Civil Freedom and their supporters is if the forfeiture act is passed, the Justice department and RCMP could seize property and cash based on suspicion of criminal activity, not a conviction, as is required under criminal law.

During the rally, several protesters held aloft huge placards emblazoned with slogans like “OUR Territory, OUR Government, OUR SAY!”, “Better police work, less laws!” and the suggestive “Why 10 years? Why not 35? Fentie”.

That was a reference to the premier’s conviction for heroin dealing in the 1970s, for which he served time in prison in Alberta.

That puts the premier in similar company with one of the rally’s organizers, Micah Hoeschele, also convicted of drug trafficking after a routine stop by police turned up several packages of marijuana, 122 grams of hash and electronic scales.

Hoeschele pled guilty in June 2008, and served a six-month conditional sentence.

Asked after the rally about his criminal record, Hoeschele told the Star he takes full responsibility for his actions, has changed his behaviour and is trying to be a model citizen.

“This law the government is trying to pass has a 10-year retroactive clause ... that means the state can still come after my property even after I’ve done my time,” Hoeschele said.

“It’s amazing how our premier, who has a drug conviction, can go ahead with something today that 35 years ago would’ve trampled all over his rights.”

As Hoeschele’s sentence did not include jail time, it is unlikely he was the target of Fentie’s remarks, nor did the premier say why the placard-carrying protester had been in the custody of the Whitehorse Correctional Centre.

However, the premier’s veiled guilt-by-association comments were not lost on Mitchell, who retorted with a spate of embellished double entendres, leaving Fentie red-faced and not his usual confident self.

“To use phrasing that should be familiar to the premier, this young man has ‘taken responsibility for his actions, paid for his mistakes, paid his debt to society and moved on,’” Mitchell said.

“More than just paying his debt and moving on, this young man is now actively participating in our democracy and attending this legislature.

“Such rehabilitation is heartwarming .... We just hope all such young men eventually enter this House on similar terms. Does the premier really believe that a drug conviction should keep someone out of this House?”

Legislators voted April 28 to support an NDP motion delaying the forfeiture act until public consultations occur.

Both the Liberals and NDP have stated if revisions aimed at protecting civil liberties do not materialize and the public rejects amendments or the bill altogether, neither will support it.

At last weekend’s Yukon NDP convention, party members supported an emergency motion directing their MLAs not to support the bill in its current form.

Fentie declined to comment for this story.