Nova Scotia premier defends reinstatement of top aide who assaulted woman
HALIFAX — For the second time in four days, Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil was forced off message Thursday to defend himself from attacks on gender-related issues.
At a campaign stop in Halifax, McNeil said Liberal communications director Kyley Harris deserved “a second chance” after being handed a conditional discharge for striking a woman in the face during a domestic argument on May 9, 2014.
Harris was a spokesman for McNeil at the time, but was fired after waiting four days to tell the government he was facing an assault charge.
Harris was hired back in 2015 to do research in the Liberal caucus office and is now listed as director of communications for the central campaign in the runup to the May 30 provincial vote.