Changing the Liquor Act is not a priority for the territorial government.

In question period in the legislature Tuesday, Liberal Leader Pat Duncan asked the government what it plans to do with the review of the act her party's regime completed prior to the 2002 election.

During her question, Duncan pointed out the minister responsible for the Yukon Liquor Corp., Glenn Hart, told the legislature a year ago about the government's plans to complete the review.

'We are reviewing the information that is before us, and we are taking that information in consultation with the board itself. We are on the review,' Hart told the legislature on April 3, 2003.

'We will be bringing forth the changes to the proposed Liquor Act when we are finished, and we will debate them here at the legislature.'

Duncan wanted to know why it was taking so long.

'It has now been 18 months since the government came to office and started the review of the Liquor Act. When is the new legislation coming forward, or has the government decided not to proceed?' she asked.

Hart did not respond to the question this time because of a conflict of interest. The minister is a shareholder in the Meadow Lakes golf course in Whitehorse, which has a liquor licence.

However, Hart was a shareholder a year ago when he commented in the legislature on the matter.

Hart is the minister responsible since the Yukon Liquor Corp. falls under the control of Community Services.

In his stead, Elaine Taylor fielded Duncan's question. Taylor has not accepted many questions fired her way lately related to one of her departments, Justice.

'The Liquor Act review, which has been taking place over the last few years, certainly will continue. I should also point out, however, that our government did not identify this piece of legislation, this review, as a priority. It is not identified in our platform, and therefore we will treat it as such,' Taylor told Duncan.

The minister would not definitively say whether a new act will come to the legislature during the Yukon Party's mandate, which will expire in November 2007.

'I did not say that we would not proceed with a review of the Liquor Act. I just said that it was not a priority of this government at this time. That's not to say that the review will not proceed or ever take place.'

However, Taylor added there are a number of priorities in the Yukon Party's election platform which it will focus on and the Liquor Act review is not on that list.

Duncan said a review of the act does not have to be done again by the Yukon Party it was already finished by her former government.

'There was a thorough consultation,' said Duncan.

The Liberal regime put together a panel of citizens, including former Yukon Party MLA and cabinet minister Doug Phillips.

The panel gave a series of recommendations to then-minister Sue Edelman.

One recommendation called on the government to permit licensed bars without requiring them to have hotel rooms.

Duncan believes this is why the act review is at the back of the bus.

'It's been stalled because of political pressure,' she said.

Duncan believes the fact that two MLAs, Archie Lang and Peter Jenkins, own or have owned hotels, may be behind the delay.

Hart indicated in a interview in February 2003 that changing the law to permit bars not attached to hotels was an outstanding issue which needed to be resolved.

In a letter to the B.C. and Yukon Hotels Association on Oct. 22, 2002, during the election campaign, Yukon Party Leader Dennis Fentie said his party didn't like the idea of changing that.

'The issue of alcohol abuse in the Yukon has not been adequately dealt with; opening pubs in residential neighourhoods won't help. There is also the unfairness to existing liquor licensees who had to build hotel or motel rooms as a condition of their licence,' Fentie wrote.

Duncan said the majority of Yukoners who commented during the review wanted this change.

She wonders if the government is speaking for a few instead of the whole of the territory.

Duncan said the government shouldn't throw out the review just because it was done by a different government.

Taylor once again refused to comment on the matter outside of the legislature.

Fentie said there was no need for his minister to speak to the public on the matter outside question period because she said all that needed to be said.