Yukon premier stands behind embattled health minister

Yukon Premier Sandy Silver offered a full-throated defence of his health minister on Thursday, amid opposition calls for her to be demoted or re-assigned.

Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost has been under fire from the opposition in recent weeks, for how she's handled allegations of abuse and neglect within Yukon's child protection system.

On Thursday, Yukon Party MLA Patti McLeod suggested in the Legislature that Frost was in over her head.

"It's not her fault. The premier has put too much on her plate, which means she can't focus on the important files she needs to," McLeod said.

Frost is also minister of the environment and minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corporation. McLeod suggested that Silver "lighten her load" by reassigning some or all of those portfolios.

"It's clear the minister is struggling to keep up with the workload," McLeod said. "For the last year and a half, the minister has struggled to answer simple questions, and tends to contradict herself."

Frost doing 'amazing' job, premier says

Frost herself did not respond in the Legislature, but the premier didn't hold back in praising her competence, and the "amazing," "impeccable" and "spectacular" job she's done.

"Our minister … has done more work in a year and half in the field of not only health and social services, but also in the field of the environment," Silver said.

"No, I think we're doing fine with this minister."

If anything, Silver said, Frost is simply too dedicated.

"She just works too much ... she works too hard for the people of Yukon," he said.