what is really “OFFENSIVE” Mr Premier, is you not declaring conflict of interest over WORTMAN inquiry

Policing runs very deep in Stephen McNeil’s family ; so much so that it  might seem a bit of a shock when he went into electric appliance repair, rather than joining the RCMP or local police.

But actually he was following in his father’s footsteps, as P. J. (Burt) McNeil worked as an electrician.

Sheriff Mom began the McNeil policing dynasty

But Burt died suddenly when Stephen was very young and his mom was very grateful when she became NS’s first female sheriff as it helped greatly in putting food on the table for her 17 kids.

(Theresa was a very devout Catholic who started her family at age 17.

The story, as I always heard from a CWL insider, was that it was the Catholic Women’s League itself that leaned on Premier Regan to hire Theresa as Sheriff to help her big Catholic family.

Regan was louth to do so, until he was gently reminded that the CWL ranks were traditionally the very backbone of the Liberal’s election day forces !)

I only met Theresa once in my life, briefly, at a celebration at the home of one of her children : I share a neice with the Premier but know none of the family : even at brief glance, she seemed a remarkable woman.

Many of Theresa (Mombourquette) McNeil’s sons did go on, following Mom’s example, to become police - as did some of their spouses and children in turn.

Some rose high enough in Halifax’s police force as to be in an awkward position on just how did HRM police treat Gabriel Wortman interactions with themselves in his 27 plus years under their eye in Dartmouth.

But more important than one or two particularly powerful brothers, is the fact that McNeil’s close family means he had to pick up some sense of the blue line insider culture in the last 45 years since his mom, and then brothers, joined the policing community.

It would only be natural that he tends to view the world, our world, from their viewpoint : peering suspiciously out from inside the big blue tent.

Just say so, ‘fess up, get it over with’. Declare a conflict of interest and let the rest of the NS Cabinet debate and vote : inquiry or no ?

Mother Theresa : Sheriff, Annapolis County.

Brother Burt : Chief, Annapolis Royal Police.

Brother Chris : Deputy Chief, HRM police.

Brother Robin  : Deputy Chief,  HRM police.

Brother Anthony : Sargent , HRM police.

Sister-in-law Joanne : Sargent, HRM police.

Nephew Jason : Sargent, HRM police.

Sheriffs, Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs, Sargents : we are not  just talking about the the foot soldiers of policing ; ‘we are with the High Command’ ....