Losing chief of staff a low point: McNeil on 2015

HALIFAX – Premier Stephen McNeil says his chief of staff’s resignation has been “very difficult.”

Kirby McVicar resigned after he released former Liberal Cabinet Minister Andrew Younger’s personal health information. The resignation followed almost two weeks of bad press stemming from Younger’s release of a secretly-recorded conversation between himself and McVicar.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t say losing my chief of staff has been a very difficult personal moment,” McNeil said Tuesday in a year-end interview with Global News.

Despite his resignation, McVicar is still a friend and confidant, according to McNeil.

“I speak to him often, I spoke to him as recently as yesterday,” he said. “Its my hope that we’ll do something together in the future.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "I speak to him often, I spoke to him as recently as yesterday," he said. "Its my hope that we'll do something together in the future."

How the government communicated cuts to the film industry’s tax credit was also mishandled according to McNeil. However, he maintains “it was the right public policy piece.”

WATCH BELOW: In Part 1 of his year-end interview with Global News, Premier Stephen McNeil says launching the restorative justice inquiry into the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children was a highlight. However, losing his chief of staff was “very difficult.”

Premier’s 2015 highlights

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Investments in public education and the launch of a restorative justice inquiry into the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children are both government initiatives that McNeil says will help move the province forward in the years ahead.

The Liberals’ achievements include capping class sizes for primary to Gr. 3, eliminating the wait list for the early intervention programs, and reducing the number of outcomes teachers are expected to achieve, McNeil said.

“Those will have long-term impacts on the future of our province,” McNeil said.

The start of the inquiry into the home for coloured children went largely “unnoticed,” according to McNeil. However he says he hopes its impacts will be long lasting. The inquiry was formally launched in June when the home also formally apologized to former residents. In November, it’s council was appointed and it’s work is underway.

“Its an opportunity for us as a province to look at our institutions – the justice system, government – through the eyes of minorities,” McNeil said. “Its absolutely critical that every Nova Scotian sees themselves in these all important public institutions.”

McNeil’s support outpaces opposition parties

Despite the many criticisms the Liberal government dealt with in 2015, support for the party is three times that of the two opposition parties. According to Corporate Research Associates’ latest poll, 64 per cent of decided voters support the Liberal party. Meantime, the New Democrats and Progressive Conservatives each hold 17 per cent support.

McNeil said he thinks the majority of Nova Scotians support his government because he is willing to make controversial decisions, rather than decisions only based on what’s politically palatable.

“The decisions that we’re making, I believe is in the best interests of all Nova Scotians,” McNeil said. “I do recognize that they do impact some families and Nova Scotians negatively at times, but in the long run I believe it’s the right thing for us collectively.”