The Environment minister is legally required to report to the public on the state of the environment every three years.

No such report has been created since the Yukon Party took office 2002, despite repeatedly lapsed budget allocations.

'I don't know about the clause in the act, frankly,' Premier Dennis Fentie told the Star. Fentie also serves as the Yukon's Environment minister.

'I'm not very worried about it. I'm much more focused on the good work our department is doing and applaud them for their work,' he added.

Section 47 of the territory's Environment Act states the government must publicly report on the state of the environment to provide an early warning and analysis of potential problems for the environment; to allow the public to monitor progress; and, to provide baseline information for environment planning, assessment and regulation.

Section 48 goes on to state the Environment minister must table this report in the legislative assembly every three years.

The document is further required to incorporate first nations traditional knowledge, look at trends, changes and indicators and identify emerging problems while examining long-term and cumulative effects.

Liberal Environment critic Darius Elias brought the clauses to the attention of legislative assembly during Wednesday's question period.

He asked if it is the minister's responsibility to follow the law.

'The minister and the government are much more focused on actually going to work on our environment than tabling pieces of paper and reports,' said Fentie. 'However, I will look into the matter as far as the very benign legalities around this particular issue are concerned.'

Fentie said his government has made the environment a top priority and has tabled its climate change strategy. That document should be an indicator to Yukoners as to what the state of the environment is, he said.

He also pointed to the Yukon Environment and Socioeconomic Assessment Act, special areas protection agreements and updating the territory's biophysical database as examples of the Yukon Party government's work.

'This thing the Liberals have brought up is nothing more than a red herring,' he added.

Previous state of the environment reports have included the topics of air and atmosphere, climate change, water, land, fish and wildlife and ecosystems. The lengthy documents have included graphs, charts and maps highlighting concerns and trends to monitor in the Yukon.

'The report has not been done, because empowering the Yukon public on the state of their own environment is not a priority of this government,' said Elias. 'Yukoners care and want to know, especially in a time when their environment is rapidly changing around them.'

The Yukon Party's record on the environment is starting to speak for itself, said Elias.

'(The Yukon Party) is going to wear the history of their inaction on this, on our environment,' he said.

The 2007-08 budget again has a $20,000 line item for the state of the environment report.

'Every year, the money is put in, and every year it doesn't get spent, because the government has other priorities,' said Elias.

Scientists and technicians are waiting to do the work and Yukoners want to read the document, he said. But direction must be given from the minister to go ahead.

Fentie said previous reports have contained 'erroneous information', citing the example of emissions.

Before any report is released to the public it must be thoroughly analyzed and critiqued, he said.

'It must be ensured any information put into the public domain is factual, correct and consistent with what is actually happening in the Yukon.'

A cabinet submission is pending regarding the environment report, he said.

Fentie could not place a timeframe on when it would be completed or reviewed.

'The Liberals mistakenly think it's the report that leads to good environmental management and a positive state of our environment,' he said. 'The report does nothing of the kind. It takes hard work and direction.

'I think what's more important is the state of the environment, and the Yukon's state of the environment is excellent.'