Premier Dennis Fentie will return to the legislative assembly Oct. 29 as leader of a minority government in the wake of a high-profile cabinet minister's resignation in late August.

On Tuesday afternoon, Fentie announced the legislature will reconvene for its fall sitting, unfazed by official Opposition leader Arthur Mitchell's threat of a non-confidence motion.

"I'm not at all worried,” Fentie told the Star this morning.

"All I'm concerned about is for the government to do its job, and needless distractions from the likes of Mr. Mitchell is something we'll avoid.

"If that's what he thinks is of the utmost importance, then we'll leave that to the Liberals.”

On Aug. 28, Brad Cathers shook the ruling Yukon Party's foundations when he resigned from its caucus and as minister of Energy, Mines and Resources

Cathers, who now sits as an independent MLA, said he could no longer serve under Fentie after the premier "lied” to his caucus, then to the Yukon public, by denying there were negotiations with Calgary-based ATCO, first to sell, then privatize the territory's public electrical utility.

Yukon Liberals were quick to pounce on the minority government opportunity Cathers' bombshell move created – that same August day Mitchell declared his party would try to topple the government at the earliest opportunity.

This morning, the Liberal leader reiterated he will continue on that trajectory.

"We will present the non-confidence motion at the earliest opportunity (because) we don't have confidence in this government and it has not been honest with Yukoners from the premier on down,” said Mitchell.

"The secret negotiations (to sell the power corporation) and misrepresentation to Yukoners about what the premier was doing has become completely obvious with ... the resignation of Mr. Cathers.”

As recent statements by Cathers, independent MLA John Edzerza and New Democratic Party Leader Elizabeth Hanson, indicate they favour working in a minority government situation, it is unlikely Yukoners will be forced to the polls by the Liberal gambit.

Including house Speaker Ted Staffen, the Yukon Party has nine MLAs in the assembly, the Liberals five, NDP two, and there are two independents. As the Speaker is not permitted to vote, Mitchell's non-confidence motion would require the support of all opposition MLAs to succeed.

And Fentie appears bouyed by such favourable chances his government has of surviving a vote of non-confidence, brushing aside the question of whether he could still be trusted.

"I'll leave that to the public and I take no issue for people making such decisions; that's entirely their perrogative,” he said.

Fentie also dismissed speculation that Cathers' decision to break ranks with the government, but not the party, has led to serious internal divisions within the Yukon Party.

"It's pretty obvious. I'm still the leader, still the premier of the territory and still doing my job as I was elected to do. Those are the realities and that's the way things are.”

Speaking for the Yukon NDP, MLA Steve Cardiff said this afternoon the party is looking forward to going back to the legislature and "holding the government accountable for their actions.”

While Cardiff did not rule out voting with the Liberals in a non-confidence motion, he is slightly out of step with his party leader Hanson's position that she would prefer working with the minority government, rather than turfing it.

"I don't have 100-per-cent confidence in the government so we'll see how (the promised Liberal motion) plays out,” Cardiff told the Star, adding it would take more than the support of two NDP MLAs to succeed.

"I don't think Cathers or Edzerza are going to make the government fall. Cathers made it pretty clear that he still remains a member of the Yukon Party and wants to see them govern. His issue is with the leader.”

Acclaimed as NDP leader Sept. 26, Hanson must steer the party without a seat in the legislature, and putting her stamp on NDP priorities is presenting some public relations difficultities.

"It's Todd (Hardy) and I going into the legislature. Liz (Hanson) doesn't have a seat, so doesn't work out of this office,” Cardiff explained of why he was fronting for the party.

"If you want to call her, you're more than welcome.”

Reached this afternoon, Hanson said the current situation is providing some growing pains.

"There is some tendency, by both us and and media to call somebody they've called in the past,” she said. "Some things will take time for us to sort out and that's happening as we speak ... it will be rocky from the get go because I'm not operating from the legislature.”