Andrew Younger faces warrant as government seeks full recording

The Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly has issued a warrant asking the legislature's sergeant-at-arms to retrieve a full recording the government believes former cabinet minister Andrew Younger has of a meeting between himself and the premier's chief of staff.

Speaker Kevin Murphy issued the warrant Friday. At issue is a conversation Younger had last February with Premier Stephen McNeil's chief of staff, Kirby McVicar, of which two smaller snippets have been made public.

The first recording was revealed by Younger himself to CBC. The second was made public by the premier's office on Thursday, after it received a letter, a computer disc and thumb drive with a 43-second recording.

The government says it believes Younger dropped the package off at Province House on Wednesday. The now independent MLA denies that, although he admits he recorded the conversation.

Younger now has until Monday at noon to produce a tape he says does not exist.

Warrants are an unusual step, but legislature committees, notably the public accounts committee, have issued them before to compel witnesses to testify.

The sergeant-at-arms executes the warrant for the House of Assembly because he is the one who enforces the rules of the House when someone refuses to comply with the Speaker's order or direction. 

Potential punishment

If the sergeant-at-arms returns to Province House without the tape, Younger will be found in contempt of the legislature and would then face censure. Punishment could include being expelled from the House and his seat declared vacant.

Younger's fate will rest in the hands of his former colleagues on the government side of the house. A censure motion requires only a majority vote and the Liberals have the votes to determine what happens to Younger.