Premier Dennis Fentie has challenged Liberal MLA Don Inverarity to step outside the legislature where he would lose his legal immunity for making what Fentie regards as slanderous remarks.

Inverarity has been pummelling Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang with requests to stand up and tell the legislature about the discussions he had regarding proposed changes to the Liquor Act.

They were tabled last week.

Fentie announced Tuesday he was calling on conflicts commissioner David Jones of Edmonton to look into the matter and clear the air.

But on Wednesday, Inverarity continued his barrage of suggestive questions to Lang.

"My question is for the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources," the Liberal MLA told the house. "

Yukoners want to hear what he has to say for himself.

"Last week, his colleague (Jim Kenyon, the minister responsible for the Yukon Liquor Corp.) confirmed this minister was involved in discussions about the Liquor Act. At the time of those discussions, the minister owned hotels.

"Any changes to the act would have a serious effect on his private interests."

Inverarity told the legislature the nature of Fentie's request for an investigation by the conflicts commissioner must have been an April Fool's joke, because it doesn't target Lang, nor former cabinet minister and hotelier Peter Jenkins.

All it does, said Inverarity, is seek to determine whether there was a conflict of interest on Kenyon's part.

The only thing Kenyon is guilty of is spilling the beans when he told the legislature last week he had discussions with the two ministers regarding proposed changes to the Liquor Act, Inverarity said.

If Lang doesn't respond to his question, Inverarity said this week, he will forward his own request to the conflicts commissioner.

Kenyon then told the legislature Monday the discussions occurred prior to the Yukon Party taking office in late 2002, while developing the election campaign.

Fentie has been fielding the questions on Lang's behalf in Kenyon's absence.

Kenyon handled the questions initially, but has been out of the legislature for most of this week on ministerial business.

The only joke in the legislature, the premier shot back, was the Liberals' delusions of wrong-doing.

"The official Opposition made the allegations of conflict, and that's why I have formally requested that the conflicts commissioner look into those allegations," Fentie said.

"But if the member feels that strongly about this issue, why bother bandying it about in here, where there's immunity?

"Take it outside of here and make those accusations. Name names. Stand up and be counted."

The Liberal party is on nothing more than a witch hunt, the premier has suggested to the house, and should have the guts to make the accusations of wrong-doing outside the legislature.

Among the proposed amendments to the Liquor Act tabled by Kenyon last week is an allowance for neighbourhood pubs.

The Yukon Party stood opposed to the idea of neighbourhood pubs in its 2002 election platform.

The party suggested the measure would be unfair to existing bar owners who had to invest in hotel and motel rooms before they could get a liquor licence.

The amendment proposes removing the provision of hotel rooms as a requirement for a liquor licence.

Is it a coincidence, Inverarity has asked, that the seven-year-old recommendation for neighbourhood pubs crafted under the former Liberal government surfaces only after Lang has sold his interest in the Watson Lake Hotel, and Jenkins is no longer in office?

The office of the conflicts commission indicated today Jones will likely be responding to the premier's request sometime next week.

On Tuesday, April Fool's Day, NDP Leader jokingly put forward a motion requesting the legislature approve funding for the conflicts commissioner to purchase a lie detector machine, for use in future dealings with MLAs.