The legislature unanimously passed a motion Wednesday on the 25th anniversary of the Dempster Highway.

But it didn't happen until after the Yukon Party lobbied the NDP to let it be discussed.

Yesterday was the day for motions of private Yukon Party members to be debated.

Before the show began, however, government house leader Peter Jenkins asked the legislature for unanimous agreement to bring forward a motion of Vuntut Gwitchin MLA Lorraine Peter of the NDP a week ahead of schedule.

However, the opposition, led by Peter, refused to give agreement to deal with her Dempster Highway motion, so the legislature moved to debating a motion by Southern Lakes MLA Patrick Rouble.

Peter's motion called on the government to work with the four first nations which helped with the construction of the Dempster Highway in the plans for the 25th anniversary celebration of the road, along with the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories.

The first nations are Peter's own Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, plus the Tr'ondek Hwech'in, Tetlit Gwitchin and Nacho Nyak Dun.

Afterward, Peter explained why she didn't want her motion brought forward.

She said Jenkins told the NDP and Liberal house leaders he just wanted the motion passed without any debate.

Peter was upset the government tried to 'muzzle' her and not allow her to debate her own motion.

'What the Yukon Party is trying to do with that motion is hijack it into a feel-good motion for them,' she said.

'I would like to have my right to speak to that motion.'

But in an interview right after that, Jenkins said she could have easily stood up and spoken to the motion after he introduced it.

As for the notion it would have been passed without a word from anybody, Jenkins said, that was one of the options which was discussed but it was not definite.

Wrong, said Liberal Leader Pat Duncan.

Duncan, the lone Liberal, confirmed that was exactly what Jenkins said that he would introduce the motion to be passed without debate.

The Liberal leader said Premier Dennis Fentie looked very surprised when the move to bring Peter's motion forward didn't get unanimous consent.

Peter and Duncan both suggested Fentie badly wanted the motion passed so he could have a deal to sign with N.W.T. Premier Joe Handley this weekend when the three northern premiers meet in Whitehorse. The deal would be an agreement to work on the celebrations.

Duncan said that when Peter tabled her motion earlier in the week, it was clear the premier saw that as the good news story which could come out of the weekend meeting.

'Hallejuah, we've got our photo op,'' Duncan said the premier's response might have been.

When asked why he wanted the motion passed right away, instead of letting the NDP bring it up on their own next week, Fentie said today it was a 'constructive' motion.

Plus, Fentie added in an interview, it would send a message to Handley that the legislative assembly fully supports this idea.

'I can give him that message clearly,' said Fentie.

But Fentie still had to get the motion passed in the legislature.

To do so, he spoke with NDP officials. Then Jenkins visited the official Opposition's office.

The two sides agreed to bring it forward, with Peter making her statement about the importance of the first nations' involvement in building the artery between the Dawson City area and Inuvk, N.W.T.

Fentie and Duncan then spoke about the importance of the motion and it passed unanimously in a few minutes.

Peter said in the interview that she raised this issue with Fentie on April 15 with a letter about involving the first nations in the plans.

Her concern was that she found out the planning was being done by Highways and Public Works officials and not Fentie's Executive Council Office, which deals with intergovernmental relations.

As of yesterday, the first nations had still heard nothing from the Yukon government and the celebrations are coming up this summer.

'The construction of the Dempster Highway would not have been possible without the guidance and the support of first nation people and the traditional knowledge they generously shared,' Peter said in the legislature.

'Any public celebration of the Dempster Highway should recognize I want to emphasize recognize' the vital role played by the people of the four first nations whose traditional territories are involved, and especially the elders.'

The government will now be involving the first nations in its plans.

But it didn't happen until after the Yukon Party lobbied the NDP to let it be discussed.

Yesterday was the day for motions of private Yukon Party members to be debated.

Before the show began, however, government house leader Peter Jenkins asked the legislature for unanimous agreement to bring forward a motion of Vuntut Gwitchin MLA Lorraine Peter of the NDP a week ahead of schedule.

However, the opposition, led by Peter, refused to give agreement to deal with her Dempster Highway motion, so the legislature moved to debating a motion by Southern Lakes MLA Patrick Rouble.

Peter's motion called on the government to work with the four first nations which helped with the construction of the Dempster Highway in the plans for the 25th anniversary celebration of the road, along with the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories.

The first nations are Peter's own Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, plus the Tr'ondek Hwech'in, Tetlit Gwitchin and Nacho Nyak Dun.

Afterward, Peter explained why she didn't want her motion brought forward.

She said Jenkins told the NDP and Liberal house leaders he just wanted the motion passed without any debate.

Peter was upset the government tried to 'muzzle' her and not allow her to debate her own motion.

'What the Yukon Party is trying to do with that motion is hijack it into a feel-good motion for them,' she said.

'I would like to have my right to speak to that motion.'

But in an interview right after that, Jenkins said she could have easily stood up and spoken to the motion after he introduced it.

As for the notion it would have been passed without a word from anybody, Jenkins said, that was one of the options which was discussed but it was not definite.

Wrong, said Liberal Leader Pat Duncan.

Duncan, the lone Liberal, confirmed that was exactly what Jenkins said that he would introduce the motion to be passed without debate.

The Liberal leader said Premier Dennis Fentie looked very surprised when the move to bring Peter's motion forward didn't get unanimous consent.

Peter and Duncan both suggested Fentie badly wanted the motion passed so he could have a deal to sign with N.W.T. Premier Joe Handley this weekend when the three northern premiers meet in Whitehorse. The deal would be an agreement to work on the celebrations.

Duncan said that when Peter tabled her motion earlier in the week, it was clear the premier saw that as the good news story which could come out of the weekend meeting.

'Hallejuah, we've got our photo op,'' Duncan said the premier's response might have been.

When asked why he wanted the motion passed right away, instead of letting the NDP bring it up on their own next week, Fentie said today it was a 'constructive' motion.

Plus, Fentie added in an interview, it would send a message to Handley that the legislative assembly fully supports this idea.

'I can give him that message clearly,' said Fentie.

But Fentie still had to get the motion passed in the legislature.

To do so, he spoke with NDP officials. Then Jenkins visited the official Opposition's office.

The two sides agreed to bring it forward, with Peter making her statement about the importance of the first nations' involvement in building the artery between the Dawson City area and Inuvk, N.W.T.

Fentie and Duncan then spoke about the importance of the motion and it passed unanimously in a few minutes.

Peter said in the interview that she raised this issue with Fentie on April 15 with a letter about involving the first nations in the plans.

Her concern was that she found out the planning was being done by Highways and Public Works officials and not Fentie's Executive Council Office, which deals with intergovernmental relations.

As of yesterday, the first nations had still heard nothing from the Yukon government and the celebrations are coming up this summer.

'The construction of the Dempster Highway would not have been possible without the guidance and the support of first nation people and the traditional knowledge they generously shared,' Peter said in the legislature.

'Any public celebration of the Dempster Highway should recognize I want to emphasize recognize' the vital role played by the people of the four first nations whose traditional territories are involved, and especially the elders.'

The government will now be involving the first nations in its plans.