Members in opposition in the legislative assembly are shaking their heads after independent MLA John Edzerza announced via press release this morning that he was rejoining the party he left three years ago.

"Effective immediately,” Edzerza writes of his decision to sit as a backbench Yukon Party member. The move restores Premier Dennis Fentie's majority government, which he briefly lost after Brad Cathers resigned from the ruling party's cabinet and caucus in late August.

Citing irreconcilable differences with the premier over secret negotiations, first to sell, then privatize the territory's public utility, Cathers' resignation was applauded by Edzerza.

"I say kudos to Brad. It's good to see someone else besides myself had the intestinal fortitude to stand up to (Fentie),” Edzerza told the Star after learning of Cathers' decision. "The premier always went off and did his own thing, and now it's finally caught up to him. The proof is in the pudding now – this is the third minister to walk out under his leadership and says something as to how he runs the ship.”

Calls by the Star today to Edzerza were not returned as of press time early this afternoon. In previous interviews, Edzerza has said starting an on-the-land treatment program is a top priority and in his press release indicates this goal influenced his decision.

"I will be working with Justice Minister Marian Horne to advance this initiative,” he writes.

Regardless of Edzerza's motivation, opposition MLAs were lining up to take verbal shots at the flip-flopping member for McIntyre-Takhini, who in January left the NDP to sit as an independent.

"It's hard to follow the bouncing ball, and it's unfortunate because holding this government accountable will be that much harder,” said Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell. "Publicly, Mr. Edzerza has described Fentie as a bully and somebody he doesn't trust ... now he'll once again be getting told what he has to do by Fentie, so we'll see how he likes that.”

After Cathers' departure reduced the Yukon Party government to a minority, Mitchell vowed to topple Fentie's regime by moving a non-confidence motion as soon as the legislature reconvened.

Taking a wait-and-see approach, both Cathers and the NDP said they wanted to work within a minority government instead of rushing to turf Fentie. But only Edzerza came out strongly against the move, comparing the Liberals to "ravens waiting for the horse to die.”

As MLAs prepare to return to the legislature next Thursday, Mitchell said he will still introduce a confidence motion because it is important for the public to know where their representatives stood on the premier's backroom dealing and misrepresentation on the near-sale of the Yukon Energy Corporation to ATCO.

Meanwhile, Cathers called Edzerza's decision disappointing.

"Particularly since it was just a few short weeks ago that John vowed he wouldn't give Fentie back the hammer of the majority government,” said Cathers. "And a month and a half ago he was commending my resignation because many of the reasons I left were the same as his.”

Edzerza was Justice and Education Minister in Fentie's government until he bowed out in the summer of 2006, following in the steps of cabinet colleague Peter Jenkins, who also left the Yukon Party. While both sat as independent MLAs until the election that fall, Jenkins retired from politics and Edzerza ran for re-election under the NDP banner. Two years after his narrow election victory, Edzerza would quit the NDP.

Today, former New Democratic Party leader Todd Hardy, who remains in the NDP caucus as Whitehorse Centre MLA, slammed Edzerza's decision to rejoin the Yukon Party, not only for returning it to majority government status, but for fuelling public confusion and apathy over politics in general.

"We seem to elect people that think it's all right to play musical chairs ... we seem to have one hell of a bad history in regards to people moving party to party,” Hardy said. "It's gotten to the point where people must be absolutely tired and disgusted. No wonder people don't come out and vote anymore, no wonder they are so turned off from this democratic system that has serious cracks that can be abused.”

Hardy said if Edzerza was lured back to the Yukon Party under the guise of getting a land-based alcohol and drug treatment program, it could have been accomplished sitting in opposition.

"I think there was another way to get it, instead of just rejoining a party you left only a few years ago,” Hardy said. "I've been able to get government to move on substantial legislation, like smoke-free places and SCAN, and that's when the Yukon Party were in a majority.”

But Hardy's sentiments are not shared by new NDP Leader Elizabeth Hanson, acclaimed Sept. 26 but without a seat in the assembly and therefore not part of the party's caucus.

"Good for him, that's Mr. Edzerza's choice, right? My understanding is he sought and received some commitment from the territory for some programming,” she told the Star this afternoon.

"Having sat through three meetings with the Kaska First Nations and one of their key things is their own development of land-based treatment centres, so they'll be very pleased to hear that.”

Both Hanson and Edzerza have acknowledged conversations with each other about Edzerza returning to the NDP fold.

"We talked about it, but I never tried to lure him back to the NDP,” Hanson said.