The Yukon government should honour its commitment to Yukon College and provide the endowment lands it originally said it would in the 1990s, says NDP education critic Steve Cardiff.

He raised the issue during question period Wednesday. That followed a press release from the college board of directors stating the government's current proposal for endowment lands isn't acceptable.

While the college's board met with Education Minister Patrick Rouble last week, the land matter wasn't resolved, the college's board said.

A commitment was made in the early 1990s for the college to receive about 800 acres of land for future use, after land claims with the Kwanlin Dun and Ta'an Council first nations were settled, Cardiff said.

'This is about honouring commitments made,' he told reporters.

At the time, the college took the government's offer for the land, which includes McIntyre Creek and areas now proposed for residential development, he said.

While the school embraced the offer for the endowment lands, it also recognized there needed to be finality around land claims in the city first.

That approximately 800 acres has now been reduced to around 90 acres as the government has attempted to provide land to the college as well as for recreational and residential development.

'I don't think it respects the original commitment that was made to Yukon College,' he said.

Neither, it seems, does the college.

'The latest response communicated by (the) Yukon government through unofficial channels and with no consultation, is not satisfactory from the point of view of the Yukon College board members,' the board said in its statement. 'The board is now doing a thorough analysis and exploring options with which to move forward.'

Cardiff argued the post-secondary school needs the land as it expands into the future, whether it be for infrastructure, research, educational, recreational or other uses.

'That land is a resource, an educational resource,' he said.

Cabinet spokeswoman Roxanne Vallevand said Rouble is not responding to questions from the media on the college because discussions are still underway with the board.

In the house, Rouble focused on other initiatives on which the territory has worked with the college, such as the construction of student residences, the $18 million the government is contributing to the school, and others.

Cardiff argued the minister needs to focus on representing the interests of post-secondary education in the territory.

'That's his job; he's the college's representative in cabinet,' Cardiff said.

'And he needs to listen to the college, the students, the faculty and he needs to listen to other communities in the Yukon about the future of post-secondary education and how that is tied to the land and the endowment lands.'

Cardiff wasn't the only opposition MLA to raise the issue in the house yesterday. Liberal education critic Eric Fairclough and Porter Creek South MLA Don Inverarity had questions on the matter, with responses coming from Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang.

While Fairclough concentrated on issues related to the college and the consultation, Inverarity again raised the lack of consultation with the general area, including the college and the Porter Creek Community Association.

Fairclough's questions came after he brought forward a motion urging the government to consult with Yukoners and meet the college board to resolve the issue around the endowment lands.

Lang continued to argue there's been extensive consultation over the last couple of years.

The college, he said, has more than 90 acres available for future use.

'There were many, many public meetings, both in the Porter Creek area and the Takhini area,' Lang said. 'Both of those groups use that area for recreation very extensively.

'We also involved Yukon Electrical because they have an interest at McIntyre Creek. We also addressed the fact that McIntyre Creek is a very important ecological area for fish habitat and for Yukoners.

'We also consulted the Department of Education and Yukon College to see what their needs were.'