Yukon's minister of the Public Service Commission says he applauds the whistleblowers who came forward to talk about failures in the territory's child protection system, but cautions it will take time to overcome a long-entrenched culture of fear in Yukon's public service.

"This isn't a new issue, we're talking about a legacy of fear," Richard Mostyn said on Thursday.

"I've been dealing with this in the Yukon civil service for about 30 years."

But Mostyn says government workers should not be afraid to speak out.

Several workers have spoken to the CBC about abuses and mistreatment they've witnessed in the government's child protection system, and in youth group homes — saying those abuses show a system failing those it's tasked to protect.

In the Yukon's Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, NDP Leader Liz Hanson wanted to know how whistleblowers would be protected, if they came forward to government instead of the media.

"Whistleblowers who spoke to the CBC talked about a culture of fear and concerns that they may be targeted or discredited should they speak up," Hanson said. "What are whistleblowers supposed to do?"

'I understand the fear'

Mostyn says he doesn't want government workers to fear reprisal if they report wrongdoing, but he's aware that in a government as small as Yukon's it can be difficult to be the one to speak out.

"I understand the fear, don't get me wrong. I understand the fear. But ... I am not interested in somebody coming forward with a serious allegation about children [and then] punishing that person," Mostyn said.

"That doesn't register in myself or any of my colleagues [as a] way of doing business."

Mostyn said employees have been protected under whistleblower legislation (the Public Interest Disclosure of Wrongdoing Act) since 2014, and that a government employee can lodge a complaint either through government channels or through the independent office of Yukon's Public Interest Disclosure Commissioner.

In either case an employee "cannot be penalized or punished for coming forward under the act," Mostyn said.

Mostyn said providing specific details of alleged abuse or improper behaviour is important, as that is the only way the government can fix problems in the child protection system, or anywhere else.

"I want to fix the problems in the public service," Mostyn said. "I want to foster the trust that has been missing for so long.

"Changing the long, long established culture is going to take a long time, but we're going to get there."