Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie says his government will work with the NDP's original proposal for a territory-wide anti-smoking law, rather than draft its own legislation.

The future of Bill 104, NDP Leader Todd Hardy's proposed smoke-free places act, was in doubt last year when Health Minister Brad Cathers said he would introduce his own bill, claiming Hardy's version was flawed.

But now, the premier said Thursday, his Yukon Party government has no plans to introduce a new bill.

"The government side certainly looks towards a constructive and vigorous debate on Bill 104," Fentie said. "We will continue to work with the opposition, wherever we can, in the best interest of the public in ensuring that good measures, good ideas are pursued."

The Yukon is the last province or territory in Canada without anti-smoking legislation, although some municipalities have their own bylaws.

The City of Whitehorse has banned smoking in public places, while Dawson City bans smoking in restaurants and other businesses serving underage customers. As well, businesses in Mayo have banned smoking on their own.

Revised bill includes smoking ban in vehicles

Hardy's private-member's bill passed second reading unanimously in the Yukon legislature in May 2007.

It was followed up in November by an all-party committee report that recommended a smoking ban in all public places and restrictions on tobacco advertising, among other measures.

Cathers suggested dropping Bill 104 and writing his own bill shortly after the report came out.

But Hardy and his party then spent the winter revising the bill, improving the wording in some sections and adding a ban on smoking in vehicles carrying children.

"I'm getting very good indication that there's some excitement for this bill to be brought back and be adopted," Hardy said earlier this week. "So we're working on that, and my hope is that within the first two to three weeks, this bill will be introduced and passed."

The Canadian Cancer Society's Yukon chapter was happy to hear of Hardy's amendment to ban smoking in vehicles.

But Fentie would not confirm whether the government will support that amendment, or the bill in general.

"The government's not taking a position on any items of the bill until they're duly debated, and the bill goes through our legislative assembly in the procedural manner that it must," Fentie said.

The spring session of the Yukon legislature begins March 20 in Whitehorse.