Yukon MLA Gary McRobb is firing back at allegations he immorally extracted $25,000 from a Haines Junction couple, saying he acted 'fairly.'

McRobb said in an interview last week a sale agreement for the Kluane RV Kampground that went awry should have remained a personal deal.

In light of Richard Mazur's public comments, however, he is responding to protect his reputation. Under the advice of his lawyer, McRobb qualifies that all his comments are his opinion.

In an article published in the Star on Jan. 4, Mazur said he had erred in signing a sale of agreement for the RV park, and admitted he was in the legal wrong before the deal was called off.

He alleged that McRobb extracted $25,000 from him 'for nothing' after the deal was called off.

McRobb said the $25,000 request was to make a point, after he had to risk that amount as security in the sale agreement.

'It was the same amount he insisted I pay him in the event I did not follow though with my end of the deal,' McRobb said in a prepared statement.

'This was a matter of principle to me. Ask not of others what you can't do yourself.'

McRobb debates many of the points of fact Mazur raised, and alleges the Mazurs acted out of political spite.

Mazur is a member of the Yukon Party's executive committee, and McRobb is a former NDP and current Liberal MLA.

'This story is nothing more than an orchestrated political attack,' said McRobb.

The deal started when McRobb said the RV park, which had been listed by Barbara Collins of Re/max Action Realty, looked like a good business opportunity.

'What a lifestyleI thought it would be great! I could meet all kinds of people in the summer, and then look them up in the winter and travel,' he told the Star.

McRobb said he was leery to enter into a business sale agreement with Mazur, but took the man at his word.

'I was reluctant to trust him because of political reasons, but he persuaded me with repeated assurances such as I'm an honest man,' You can trust me' and I'm a man of my word.''

Mazur's side of the story is that he mistakenly signed the sale agreement thinking it was only an offer.

Collins told the Star this week that when the sale agreement was signed, all parties were present and the terms were very clear.

'We make sure they read everything,' she said of her clients. The document they sign also has the words, 'Contract of Purchase and Sale Agreement' written in big, bold letters at the top.

'He (Mazur) even had input into the contract' and knew what he was signing, she said.

'He's a businessman. He was totally aware that legally, it was a contract,' she said.

When contacted by the Star, Mazur reiterated that indeed he did not read the sale agreement, but that that is his fault, not his realtor's.

McRobb said that on Aug.27, 2007, when the sale agreement was signed, everyone seemed to be on the same page.

'The mood was positive,' he said. 'During the meeting to sign the sale of agreement, there was absolutely no talk or feeling that it was only an offer,' he said. McRobb said on Sept. 5, Mazur called him to cancel the deal.

Mazur said he decided to call off the sale after family members expressed a desire to keep the family business, in spite of his heart condition he referred to, which prevented him from carrying out operating duties.

According to McRobb, on Sept. 14, the parties met. They formally discussed the reasons for cancellation and began setting out the terms for erasing the deal.

Collins said at this point, she was not involved in the cancellation process, as that is handled typically by the parties' lawyers.

Collins said she had represented Mazur since 1993, when he first put the RV park on the market for sale.

In the subsequent 13 years, she said, many clients expressed interest in the property, but no deals came to fruition.

Mazur had said the property had only been on the market for three years in his interview with the Star.

Collins said as Mazur's real estate agent, she 'honestly can say, after working with him for so long, I respect him as a businessman.'

This is the only listing for which Collins has represented Mazur, she said. She has been a realtor since 1990 and said that in all cases, 'I do the best I can.'

On Oct. 4, McRobb said, he visited Mazur at the RV Park to finalize details of the cancellation agreement, and all was carried out under friendly circumstances.

'We shook hands, he slapped me on the back, he said it was as good as done, and suggested we keep the details to ourselves, as they were nobody else's business.'

A cancellation agreement was signed Oct. 16. In it, Mazur paid McRobb compensation for legal fees incurred, the deposit was returned, a caveat on the land was agreed to and the aforementioned $25,000 was paid to McRobb.

All was well, said McRobb, until Mazur attended a Yukon Party convention and began expressing dissatisfaction with the sale cancellation terms and with McRobb.

'The political connection was obvious, and so was his motivation,' said McRobb. 'It is no secret what Mr. Mazur and his political friends really want is the Yukon Party to hold my seat.

'This could very well be their ultimate goal from this vexatious attack.'

McRobb said that since the story was published, he has dedicated much time to poring over the case's details, referring to notes he kept at the time, and preparing a defence to the public allegations.

He said his constituents have expressed support for him, and that he wants to put all of this behind him, so he can continue focusing on his duties as the Liberal MLA for Kluane.