Andrew Younger hands over recording ahead of warrant deadline

CTV Atlantic: Younger turns over conversation Find out what was said in Andrew Younger's secretly recorded conversation with Kirby McVicar.

HALIFAX -- A conversation contained in an audio file that was secretly taped by a politician and became the subject of a warrant issued by the Nova Scotia legislature doesn't tell the whole story, says the premier's chief of staff.

The 12-minute, 10-second recording of a conversation between former cabinet minister Andrew Younger and Kirby McVicar was released Monday by legislature Speaker Kevin Murphy. Murphy also released a letter and a sworn affidavit that was submitted by Younger ahead of a noon deadline.

The recording was secretly made by Younger at his constituency office on Feb. 12. while he was on leave of absence from cabinet for publicly declared health and personal reasons.

Two shorter portions of the recording were previously released, one by Younger to the CBC and another last week by the premier's office after it was given to them anonymously.

Younger was compelled by the legislature to hand over the recording on Friday after the Liberal government alleged there was more to the conversation.

In the shorter 43-second portion released by the premier's office on Thursday, McVicar apparently offers Younger's wife a job. In the longer version, the offer of a possible personal services contract appears to be made unsolicited.

"Although Mr. Younger may say that is the full audio, it may be the full audio, but it's not the full conversation that we had that day," McVicar said in an interview on Monday.

He said he went to visit Younger as a friend to advise him on dealing publicly with the reasons for his absence and that Younger raised the fact his wife was about to be laid off.

McVicar said he made the offer to help alleviate the "ton of pressure" Younger was under because of death threats that had been made against him and health problems he was facing that included post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain tumour.

McVicar said Younger told him about those problems and the fact that he was the alleged victim in an assault case.

He dismissed as "ridiculous" any suggestion that the job offer was a way of keeping Younger quiet about the legal case.

"There's no possible way I could have any involvement in that case," he said.

In an email, Younger denied Monday that there was anything more to the conversation.

"I think the recording clearly shows he (McVicar) brought it (the job offer) up out of the blue," said Younger. "I never asked for anything in compensation or otherwise."

Younger also denied saying he had a brain tumour and that it was well known he had been suffering from headaches that he continues to be treated for. Younger confirmed he has been diagnosed with PTSD and that the premier's office was aware of the condition.

Murphy said Younger was in compliance with the warrant, but it is up to the legislature to decide how it wants to proceed with the matter.

Younger, who is now sitting as an Independent, had previously said he no longer had the full recording because his smartphone had been wiped by the government following his dismissal.

In an affidavit, Younger said he checked for a copy of the recording on a backup service on Friday after a reporter asked him about his constituency expense for the service.

"I realized I had not considered the cloud backup as a possible location of the recording, as it is not something I regularly access," the affidavit states.

Younger also swears in the affidavit that the entire file was "unedited in any way."

A portion of the audio and an anonymous letter were dropped off Wednesday at a government office.

Premier Stephen McNeil handed the letter and audio file over to the RCMP, saying they appear to make a serious allegation but much of the context was missing. The RCMP later confirmed that they had "initiated an investigation."

McNeil has said he fired Younger from his position as environment minister and removed him from the Liberal caucus because he didn't provide accurate information on when he knew about a parliamentary privilege he invoked to avoid appearing at an assault trial.

Younger failed to appear in provincial court earlier this month in the case of a former Liberal staff member who was accused of assaulting him. The case was subsequently thrown out by a judge.