The Community Services minister admits he tossed out Dawson City's mayor and council because they didn't always play nice with him.

Glenn Hart said Wednesday what came out of Dawson over the past six months when the mayor and council were still in place was 'inconsistent'.

The minister said the inconsistency came in how the mayor and council dealt with the government.

'Mayor and council have been very helpful in some areas and very uncooperative in some other areas,' said Hart.

The minister added that conversely, the former mayor and council would give the same answer about dealing with the government and specifically the supervisor Hart appointed, Andre Carrel.

Hart was asked if he wanted to deal with someone in Dawson City who would be completely cooperative and whether a trustee he was paying would be that person.

'Exactly,' replied Hart.

On Tuesday, Hart dismissed the entire Dawson council and its mayor to be replaced by a government-appointed trustee specifically, Ray Hayes.

At the time, Hart denied the firing was due to a personality issue.

But now, as both opposition leaders pointed out, that appears to be exactly what Hart is saying.

'It's all about having people in place who will do the bidding of the Yukon Party,' said NDP Leader Todd Hardy.

He thinks this was done to get out of the way people the government did not want in power in Dawson.

Liberal Leader Pat Duncan is opposed to the idea that a personality conflict can lead to a firing of a council.

'It's people that vote, (and) send us to do a job. And sometimes part of that job means getting along with people. You may not like them; that's not the issue,' said Duncan.

Hart appeared at a meeting last night in Dawson, with Hayes, to talk to residents about the fact they no longer have an elected municipal government. (See p. 4.)

To get to the meeting, Hart spent $2,954 of taxpayers' money to charter a flight and head up Wednesday so he could speak to Dawsonites in person and still be in the legislature in the afternoon.

During yesterday's interview, Hart said the salary for Hayes has not been established yet because it's still being negotiated. However, he said it would probably be similar to the $800 a day Carrel was paid after the government appointed him last fall.

Hart was asked when he began negotiating with Hayes to take the job. Hart met with Hayes on Easter Sunday.

In the legislature yesterday, Hart was also asked about whether, now that he's the boss of Dawson City, the government would put the construction of a new sewage treatment plant ahead of building a bridge across the Yukon River in the community of 1,800. The government has said that will cost $25 million to $30 million.

The courts have ordered Dawson City to improve the treatment of its sewage, which currently goes into the Yukon River.

Hart wouldn't answer when asked if it would make more sense to spend money on a sewage treatment facility before building a bridge in Dawson.

'The issue is that we're assisting the City of Dawson in their appeal of the actual court order.'

The government, like the previous regime in Dawson, is opposed to the court's order.

'The order that they're under isn't reasonable, given the solution that was provided, which was the very costly sewage treatment facility.'

Hart said what made the proposed treatment facility costly was not so much the expense of building of it but the annual price tag for running the plant. He said it cost more than a small community could afford.

Hart thinks the standards used to order Dawson to build the new plant are unfair.

'Why should Dawson City be responsible for delivering their solid waste any different than anybody else in Canada, i.e. Halifax or Victoria, where it goes right into the ocean(s)?'

The minister said the government is looking for an economical and reasonable solution.