Safe at the helm of his majority government, Premier Dennis Fentie sat in the legislature Wednesday afternoon casually signing Christmas cards, while Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell made his case for turfing Fentie and his Yukon Party.

"We know this government has lost the public trust and Yukoners deserve an opportunity to elect a government they can trust,” began Mitchell.

In his near-90 minute oration urging MLAs to support his non-confidence motion, the official Opposition leader laid out "three episodes that have brought (the Liberals) to this decision.”

Fentie's authorization as Finance minister to invest $36.3 million in asset-backed commercial paper in the summer of 2007 was Mitchell's leadoff.

A global recession, fuelled by the collapse of U.S. sub prime mortgage markets, froze the investments and Auditor General Sheila Fraser concluded the gamble violated the territory's Financial Administration Act.

"A best-case scenario sees us getting our money back in eight to 12 years. If we do, it will be significantly less interest than it was originally invested for,” Mitchell alleged.

According to officials from Finance – which has since written the value of the investment down by more than $10.5 million – the entire sum will be recouped by January 2017.

While Mitchell took issue with the write down, he also slammed Fentie's attitude toward Fraser's assessment.

"This premier's first response was to publicly criticize the Auditor General and dismiss her findings as ‘just her opinion,'” Mitchell said, quoting Hansard.

The ATCO scandal provided Mitchell's second pillar of non-confidence.

Last June, four directors from Yukon Energy Corp board resigned to protest what they contend were Fentie's designs first to sell, then privatize the public utility in a merger with ATCO's Yukon Electrical Co. Ltd.

As he stated many times inside and outside the legislature, Mitchell said it is clear the premier was selling out the territory's future behind the backs of Yukoners.

"Officials representing the premier travelled to Calgary six times over a seven-month period for meetings with ATCO ... at the same time the premier was carrying on a parallel process of negotiations with the head of ATCO,” Mitchell said.

"Now the premier claims these were not negotiations. We don't believe it and neither do Yukoners.”

The premier's angry telephone call last March to an official from the Environment department over the contents of its submission to the Peel planning commission was the third reason Fentie had lost the confidence of the House, according to Mitchell.

"The premier placed an irate call ... and ordered the department to gut its submission,” he said. "We know that (it) went from 22 pages to four pages as a result of this call. They sent out the Reader's Digest version.”

"The minister and premier can deny it until the cows come home, but no one believes those denials.”

Throughout Mitchell's speech, Fentie never made eye contact with his Liberal foe. He preferred to concentrate on his greeting cards, casually blowing the ink dry from each autograph before placing them on a pile at his desk.

When he finished that task, Fentie browsed a glossy brochure between visiting with his caucus members still seated in the legislature.

Rising to defend his government and leader was Education Minister Patrick Rouble – a very symbolic gesture.

After former Energy, Mines and Resources minister Brad Cathers resigned from the cabinet and the government caucus because he could no longer serve under a premier who "misled” his caucus, then the public on what the government was negotiating with ATCO, Rouble offered unqualified support for Fentie.

Facing media who wanted to know where he stood in the wake of Cathers' Aug. 28 exodus, Rouble made it clear he was firmly behind the premier and had no plans to follow the now-independent

Lake Laberge MLA.

Cathers' resignation briefly reduced the government to minority status and he suggested more caucus members could follow; however, independent MLA John Edzerza's flip-flop back to the Yukon Party less than a week before the fall sitting began restored Fentie's majority.

Meanwhile, the rest of Fentie's cabinet closed ranks around their leader.

Yesterday, Rouble pointed to the population surge in the territory, fuelled by better job opportunities the Yukon Party made possible since being elected to power in 2002, as proof the government was following through with its promises.

"We put forward a vision and ideas for the future, and I intend to do my best to carry out that platform and that vision to the best of my ability,” Rouble said.

The Education minister insisted the Yukon Party has and will continue to work with opposition parties, particularly the NDP, which chose not to speak to Mitchell's motion.

This reference sparked a small quarrel between Mitchell and NDP House Leader Steve Cardiff that momentarily distracted Rouble

But the minister quickly found his feet and continued to extol the government while ignoring the icy stare from Liberal MLA Darius Elias, who attempted to psyche out Rouble with loud invitations to "focus ... focus ... focus.”

"There seems to be some eagerness from the member of Vuntut Gwitchin to enter into the debate,” Rouble retorted.

When Rouble finished, Elias did enter debate in an official capacity, much to the frustration of Yukon Party members who groaned in unison after they tried to force the matter to a vote.

Mayo-Tatchun MLA Eric Fairclough was next and his speech, essentially an abridged version of Mitchell's, spurred Justice Minister Marian Horne to her feet.

"We cannot defend ourselves,” Horne said indignantly, attempting to have Fairclough's remarks ruled out of order.

"My colleagues and I work for the best of Yukoners, and we sit here after working hard and we have to listen to this rhetoric and false motives (that) are put upon us?”

But Speaker Ted Staffen denied Horne's request, one of several times he was forced to wade into the debate.

"As I've told members prior to this, strong words beget strong words. When one side stands up and says something and the other side takes offence, guess what?

They're getting it back. So it's up to you members.”

Staffen's admonishments throughout illustrated the subplot of off-microphone barbs thrown around inside the House, particularly between the opposition parties.

As proceedings wound down, former NDP leader Todd Hardy entered the assembly and could be heard accusing Kluane MLA Gary McRobb of lying to the House.

And when Cathers took his turn to speak to the non-confidence motion, he slammed the Liberals for engaging in the same tactics as Fentie.

"The Liberals have eagerly and repeatedly criticized the premier for his attitude towards government employees and cited examples of his behaviour that they portray as unacceptable,” said Cathers.

"I am compelled to point out that the Liberal caucus was very quick to attack the behaviour of others, but does not apply an equal standard to their own behavior.”

Cathers cited Liberal attempts during question period earlier in the week to cast aspersions on Department of Energy, Mines and Resources employees conducting water tests related to the mining industry.

When MLAs finally agreed to vote on Mitchell's motion of non-confidence, the Yukon Party government prevailed eight-to-seven.

Cathers abstained from the vote after agreeing to pair with Environment Minister Elaine Taylor, who was absent from the debate.

The two NDP members, Cardiff and Hardy, ultimately voted with the Liberals like they pledged to do, but in what was a forgone conclusion, Fentie's regime survived to rule another day.