MLA Andrew Younger files formal complaint about release of private health information

HALIFAX – Dartmouth-East MLA Andrew Younger said Tuesday he’s filed formal complaints, alleging the premier’s chief of staff disclosed his personal health information publicly.

During media interviews Monday, Kirby McVicar said Younger had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and also had a brain tumour.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday morning, Younger confirmed he had been diagnosed with PTSD, but accused McVicar of lying about having a brain tumour.

He distributed a letter from his psychiatrist, Dr. Martin E. Herschorn, which said he’d been treating Younger since October 2014 for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.

“Between October 10, 2014 and January 8, 2015, I worked with Mr. Younger for 12 sessions of individual (one-on-one) therapy conducted at Genest MacGilivray Psychologists in Halifax,” the letter reads.

Herschorn is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University.

“I am especially concerned about Mr. Younger’s potential to commit suicide,” it continues.

“Both extensive scientific evidence and my clinical experience clearly indicate that a middle-aged male suffering from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, job loss, economic hardship, public humiliation, marital distress, and a chronic medical problems is highly vulnerable to suicide.”

Younger said members of his family were unaware of his diagnosis and he had to explain this to his family Monday night and Tuesday morning after reports in the media following McVicar’s statements.

“It also sets a terrible precedent when the government releases private health information of an individual,” Younger said.

“Nova Scotians put their trust in their employers and their government to disclose information to them, they often do that … can you imagine if you’re a civil servant in the government of Nova Scotia and Premier’s McNeil’s chief of staff, has disclosed private medical information publicly and without consent?”

Younger believed the information was released was for the sole intent of, “malicious bullying.”

When challenged on his credibility as his story has changed over the past week, he had no choice but to respond to McVicar’s comments Monday.

“I would like to be done talking about this,” Younger said.

“There was three options here, if I wasn’t here today at all, everyone would say I was avoiding it, if I walked up and you all grabbed me in a scrum and I didn’t answer, you would have accused me of not answering questions,” Younger said.

“So, instead, I said, I’ll answer them right now.”

He said he’s filed complaints the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and the privacy officer with the Department of Health.

The office does not comment on whether it has received a complaint.

After a secretly recorded conversation was submitted to Legislature by Younger on Monday, McVicar answered questions to explain the pair’s conversation in his Dartmouth constituency office in February of this year.

Speaker Kevin Murphy issued a warrant for the tape on Friday, which Younger said didn’t exist. He said he recovered the file from a “cloud-based,” backup over the weekend.

Murphy said a signed affidavit and the recording submitted by Younger satisfied the warrant, but added there’s no way of verifying whether the conversation is complete.