Premier Dennis Fentie continues to hide behind officials, charge opposition MLAs; this after a government briefing to the Liberal caucus on dealings with ATCO that four former energy corporation directors and a former cabinet minister say were negotiations to privatize the public utility, orchestrated by the premier.

Led by corporation chair Willard Phelps, four directors left the public utility's board last June to protest what they described as Fentie's attempt to sell, then privatize the energy corporation via a merger with ATCO's subsidiary, Yukon Electrical Co. Ltd.

Facing pressure from opposition parties MLAs who demanded the premier resign, last August Fentie ordered a pair of high-level bureaucrats to explain to the public the government's actions.

Last Friday, those same officials, in response to a request from the Liberal party, repeated the exercise for party MLAs.

At the briefing, a timeline of "meetings and conference calls with ATCO” was produced, but party energy critic Gary McRobb dismissed it as more of Fentie's smoke and mirror tactics.

While a "joint position paper” Phelps released following his exodus from the board indicates the premier had private discussions with ATCO's CEO Nancy Southern, these are not documented in the timeline.

"Officials were very clear at the outset (of the briefing) to indicate they have no idea of the premier's parallel process or any calls or meetings he may have had with ATCO,” McRobb said. "And then Fentie stands up in the House and says the chronological log has everything detailed ... again, he's lying.”

On the floor of the assembly and in interviews, Fentie has repeatedly maintained there were never any negotiations to privatize nor sell public assets, in spite of contrary statements by ex-board directors and former Energy minister Brad Cathers.

This week, Cathers, who resigned his cabinet post Aug. 28, charging Fentie lied to his caucus, then the public about his dealings with ATCO, slammed the premier for taking refuge behind bureaucrats.

"It's just not fair to these people to throw them into the line of fire, use them as human shields,” Cathers said following question period Tuesday.

"To focus the spotlight on officials in what is a political battle is a real breach of the Westminster system. It was Fentie who created the problem, then he asked those officials to take the blame.”

However, Cathers and McRobb differ on how to resolve what has become a scandal that continues to dog the Yukon Party government.

Only a judicial inquiry can clear the air, said Cathers. Fentie's insistence that hearings led by the public accounts committee just provides the premier another way to manipulate the process, Cathers added.

"He will do as he's done in the past and read the riot act (to Yukon Party committee members),” said Cathers of the government's committee majority.

"So if anyone thinks he's going to take the stand, that's highly unlikely.”

But McRobb said it's time to let the voters decide Fentie and his ruling party's fate because a judicial inquiry offers no guarantees of getting to the truth of what went on behind closed doors.

"A judicial inquiry is expensive, time-consuming and would be delayed. And it's not like the first time Fentie has lied ... so what would it prove in the end?” said McRobb.

"The premier needs to call an election because the public accounts committee would only pressure public employees, and we know they were carrying out the premier's orders.”