Education Minister Jeanie McLean and Opposition Leader Currie Dixon sparked an angry exchange with each other over the state of affairs at Jack Hulland School on Thursday afternoon as question period ended in the legislature.

Although Yukon Party education critic Scott Kent was asking a question of McLean about tensions at the school, she seized the opportunity to take a shot at Dixon.

“As I started out with today on the commitment of our government to have healthy, active, safe, and caring learning environments in our Yukon schools, I am going to go somewhere a little bit different,” McLean said.

“The Yukon Party and the leader particularly — and I point out ‘the leader’ — continues to spread misinformation about our education system and I want to speak to Yukoners about this,” she added, charging ahead on a different tangent.

“It is irresponsible and absolutely disappointing,” she continued.

“Leadership is needed to fix the school system. Politicizing the challenges in our schools and stoking anger and division does a disservice to all of our students and the many dedicated staff who are working every day to support our students.

“We are doing the hard work to improve our schools after a decade and a half of neglect from the Yukon Party,” the minister added.

“I have met with the Jack Hulland school council. I have met with the staff at Jack Hulland. We have made adjustments to the learning spaces to improve safety.

“We have reviewed all the learning plans for the students in the Grove Street program. We have updated the Grove Street handbook, and as I have stated, we will be supporting a family-parent meeting later this month,” McLean concluded.

Yukon Party MLA Brad Cathers rose to challenge McLean on a point of order.

“The minister of Education just clearly contravened Standing Order 19(h) in reference to the statement she made about the Leader of the official Opposition,” Cathers said.

“I would ask you to remind her of that point and have her retract those comments,” he told Speaker Jeremy Harper.

Harper immediately ruled against Cathers, calling McLean’s comment a “dispute between members.”

Afterward, a clearly annoyed Dixon took up the situation with reporters.

“I want to respond to the minister of Education saying I have been spreading misinformation. I want to be correct and to be clear with everyone that the only person who has been accused of spreading misinformation is minister of Education,” Dixon said.

“She has consistently and over and over been called out not only by the opposition but by a number of groups about inaccurate information in the statements she has been providing.

“She’s been called out by the YTA (Yukon Teachers’ Association), parents, teachers and a number of people have called her out over her statements,” the Yukon Party leader added.

“Over and over, the minister has been caught saying things in the legislature that have proven to be inaccurate.”