Concerned Yukoners flooded the legislature's public gallery this afternoon to protest what they're calling the government's "undemocratic approach to planning the Peel”.

Premier Darrell Pasloski, however, insists he is doing the right thing: following process.

"We haven't been silent on this,” he said in an interview with the Star Wednesday afternoon about the spring legislative sitting.

"We're following through on process, and no decisions have been made yet.”

This comes after the Yukon Party government's Valentine's Day release of eight guiding principles to planning the Peel's future.

Many Yukoners are saying the principles are the next step in opening the watershed to industrial development. They say the government is throwing away years of work by the Peel planning commission, which last July recommended conserving 80 per cent of the watershed,

The four affected First Nations have had a legal opinion sent to the premier. It states the Yukon Party has broken the spirit and intent of the aboriginal land claim settlements.

Industry argues the government's approach to development is responsible and can be carried out without much impact on the environment, though the Yukon Chamber of Mines has been relatively quiet since the principles were released.

But the premier stressed that the fact the government has been out consulting — both with the Peel and oil and gas exploration in the Whitehorse Trough— means that they are "listening to people.”

He repeated several times that no decision on the Peel has been made yet.

"You can't make decision before finishing the process you're committed to doing,” said Pasloski.

"At the end, we're going to be able to put it all together and say what the next steps are.”

The spring sitting is traditionally focused on budget discussion, and Pasloski confirmed this sitting will be largely devoted to the new 2012-13 fiscal year budget tabled this afternoon.

During Wednesday's interview, Pasloski was asked about housing, and what he will do if another tent city sprouts up on the legislature's lawn come spring. He rattled off a list of initiatives the government is working on.

It recently announced $4.5 million for second-stage housing for women who are victims of abuse.

The government is also developing a lot of land between Range Road and Mountainview Road, and has a new partnership with the Kwanlin Dun First Nation, he pointed out.

When asked again what he would do about another potential tent city, Pasloski said it's a hypothetical question he will not answer.

The premier also said decorum in the house has been "good.” MLAs met for a brief time in late 2011.

"It's been respectful. We haven't seen that catcalling we've seen in the past,” he said.

Pasloski said he wants to work with the opposition parties. At the same time, he added, the government needs to complete the priorities it was voted into office with on Oct. 11, 2011.

"You're never going to make everyone happy all the time,” he said. "We were elected saying we're going to do a bunch of things, and that's what we're going to do.”

See related coverage below, and complete budget coverage in Friday's Star.