The Yukon Legislative Assembly had its first fall session sitting Thursday – and it didn’t take long for on-the-surface pleasantries to completely evaporate.

During question period, the elephant in the legislature was brought forward, this time, being the continued criticism and questions lingering around the planned extended care facility in Whistle Bend.

“In September, the Yukon NDP did what this government had not done,” NDP health critic Jan Stick said.

“We invited all Yukoners to a conversation about the future of continuing care in the Yukon.”

Stick referred to the NDP’s town hall meeting where many Yukon residents spoke bitterly about the prospect of a 150-or-300-bed facility in Whistle Bend.

At that meeting, former health minister Doug Graham told the crowd that Whistle Bend was not his first choice for a location.

The now-Education minister took the opportunity to correct the record after Stick asked when the government will listen to Yukoners who want to age in place.

“I have been graciously granted the opportunity to respond, in part because the member opposite, first of all misquotes me. She did not tell the truth in the letter that she sent out to all MLAs,” Graham said.

The comment provoked immediate sounds of disagreement from the Opposition, to which Speaker David Laxton showed no mercy.

“I would suggest (Standing Order) 19(h), where the member has accused another member of uttering a deliberate falsehood,” Stick retorted.

“It does violate the House rules,” said NDP Leader Liz Hanson.

Laxton lambasted the Opposition members for using the word “liar” in their heckling.

“The member opposite said that my colleague here was not telling the truth,” Hanson shot back. “Is that not the same as saying that she’s uttering a falsehood? Is that not against the Standing Orders?”

Laxton indicated he would look at the “exact wording” in the legislature’s transcript and give a further ruling, “if required.”

Once given the go-ahead, Graham continued in his defence.

“To have the member opposite misquote me by saying I was not in favour of the Whistle Bend location – I simply said that it was not our first choice,” he said.

Stick’s letter to MLAs, Graham added, states there was no needs-assessment for the facility – a statement which is “absolutely incorrect,” Graham said.

Health Minister Mike Nixon defended the claim that the government had not consulted Yukoners in planning for the facility.

“Since we have been elected, we have been engaging with Yukoners on continuing care .... As part of our work of engaging with Yukoners, the information sessions that the member speaks of are very important in moving forward,” Nixon said.

Department officials will follow up on questions or concerns about the facility, he added.

On a similar note of alleged lack of consulation, Hanson asked Premier Darrell Pasloski whether he will drop his support for the federal government’s Bill S-6.

In the name of reconciliation, Hanson said, dropping support would be a “course correction” for Pasloski’s government to establish and maintain respectful relationships between all levels of government.

“This premier’s continued support for Bill S-6 is a rejection of reconciliation,” Hanson said.

The legislation that has made waves in the territory since it passed in the House of Commons in June had led three Yukon First Nations to file lawsuits against the federal government.

Pasloski noted he has reached out to First Nations leaders in the territory asking that they get together to discuss the amendments to Bill S-6 that the First Nations disagree with.

“I’m proud to report to this House that Yukon First Nations have replied to that response and are willing to sit down and begin discussions on those amendments,” Pasloski said.

“Their request is to include Canada, so it would in fact be a trilateral discussion. I have, in response, suggested to the Yukon First Nations that I would help them write that letter urging the prime minister-elect to join us in those deliberations.”

The issue of climate change was also raised during question period, by NDP environment critic Kate White.

“Is the Government of Yukon planning on sending representatives to COP21 in Paris?” she asked, as the 21st Conference of the Parties for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) will take place in under three weeks.

Environment Minister Wade Istchenko noted that the government committed to take action in its climate change plan from 2009.

“There are 33 priority actions in our climate change plan, and just about all of them are complete,” Istchenko said.

“What I will say is, recognizing that we need to use energy and that climate change is very important to us – and they’re closely linked – we have a climate change action plan we’re working on and this will also be co-ordinated with our energy strategy for Yukon.”

White asked again why the government “isn’t” sending a delegation of Yukon climate change to COP21 – to which Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Scott Kent did not specifically answer.

Instead, Kent introduced an independent power producers program that will be up for debate in the legislature during this session.

Monday’s federal election results hailed a potentially expanded Canadian presence at COP21 – prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau promised to invite provincial leaders to the conference if elected.

The Globe and Mail reported yesterday that during a teleconference call on Thursday, Canada’s premiers agreed that everyone not facing an election campaign will attend December’s conference in Paris.

Later Thursday afternoon, the Yukon government issued a press release indicating Pasloski will lead the Yukon delegation at COP21.

The premier will be joined by youth ambassador Sabrina Clark and officials from the government’s Climate Change Secretariat.

More than 40,000 international delegates will attend the conference.