Beleaguered Premier Dennis Fentie quietly shuffled Archie Lang back into his former Energy, Mines and Resources portfolio after Brad Cathers jumped ship from the ruling Yukon Party, relinquishing that position and his role as the governing party's house leader.

Cathers' Yukon Liquor Corp. and Yukon Lottery Corp. duties were handed to cabinet member Jim Kenyon.

Both decisions were made official via four orders-in-council filed Monday.

The government made no announcement of the shuffle and did not return calls from the Star today.

The Fentie regime is remaining mute in the face of Cathers' defection and accusations that the premier "lied" about negotiations to privatize the Yukon's public utility.

Cathers' decision to sit as an independent reduces the Fentie regime to minority status.

While the Lake Laberge MLA's move caused opposition leaders to declare the premier's days are numbered, the shuffle may indicate he intends to weather the political storm.

Yukon Party president Linda Hillier continues to communicate with the Star via e-mail after a brief telephone conversation with a reporter in the wake of Cathers' bombshell announcement Friday.

An e-mail Hillier sent to the paper this morning indicates the party's executive has yet to meet with Fentie.

"I phoned ... on Friday and let (the reporter) know that we would be releasing something once the executive and the premier have met. We will be in touch. Thank you again," writes Hillier.

Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell has promised to topple the government by forcing a non-confidence vote when the legislature reconvenes in October, as it would normally do.

However, Fentie has the option of keeping the House lights dim until May 2010.

Today, the Yukon Employees' Union launched its anti-privitization campaign urging Yukoners to contact their MLAs if they disagree with the government's designs to sell or turn over managerial control of the territory's public utility.

"Tell your MLA to stop the sale of our infrastructure ... don't let our energy dollars flow south," reads a union-produced poster.

The union is also distributing pamphlets containing a similar message and telephone numbers of the Yukon's 18 MLAs.

Laurie Butterworth, union president, was not available for comment.