HALIFAX – Andrew Younger is calling on Premier Stephen McNeil to release a recording or proof of a 20 minute conversation between Younger and McNeil’s chief of staff Kirby McVicar.
The suggestion is made in a letter from Younger to the chief clerk of the house, Neil Ferguson. The letter is his response to a motion passed by the house on Thursday, compelling Younger to release a recording of the full conversation between himself and McVicar. Younger also submitted the two previously released recordings to Ferguson along with the letter.
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In one recording released Thursday, it appears that McVicar is offering Younger’s wife a job to cover some finances while Younger was out of cabinet.
“I know you’re taking a financial hit, I know that’s painful, and if there’s anything we can do for your wife on that side, if there’s anything, please let us know. I mean, is there a personal service contract we can do, is there something we can do to help?” McVicar is heard saying.
The full recording would provide the context needed to explain the conversation that has been released so far, said McNeil.
Younger said he doesn’t have the full recording because his cell phone was wiped on the same evening McNeil fired him and booted him from the Liberal caucus. In an email, government spokesperson Brian Taylor confirmed Younger’s phone was wiped when he was kicked out of cabinet.
WATCH BELOW: A clip of the secretly recorded conversation between Andrew Younger and Kirby McVicar
In another recording released last week, McVicar is heard saying the premier wants a court case, where Younger was the alleged victim, to go away.
On Thursday, Premier Stephen McNeil said he doesn’t believe Younger doesn’t have the full recording, and said the conversation between his chief of staff and Younger was roughly 20 minutes. However, Younger said he recalls the conversation being much shorter.
“If the Premier or House Leader has determined there was a 20 minute conversation, I can only surmise they have a recording of their own,” said Younger in the letter to Ferguson.
Today, Andrew Younger says he swore an oath that, “there exist no recordings of any kind of the conversation with Kirby McVicar, Chief of Staff to the Premier in February 2015 other than those two which have been provided to the Chief Clerk of the Nova Scotia Legislature, and that for further certainty I have no such recordings in my custody or care.”
Speaking to reporters Friday, Government House Leader Michel Samson said the Liberals don’t have a recording of the conversation.
Samson wouldn’t answer questions about whether he believes Younger doesn’t have the tape and wouldn’t say what next steps the government would take. “There’s an order from the House compelling Mr. Younger to provide this documentation. It’s now up to speaker to decide on to what action is going to be taken,” said Samson.
SEE BELOW: Andrew Younger’s letter to Neil Ferguson
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