Questions Remain After Iain Rankin’s DUI Admission
OPINION
After using a Public Health briefing to misinform the public on his impaired driving charges, Iain Rankin’s apology has left many questions unanswered.
Rankin stated that he has never hidden this part of his past, but it is clear that he has not been forthcoming with the public. The Premier also told Nova Scotians that he was found ‘innocent’ of the second charge, when the truth is that he only avoided jail time due to a technicality and the top DUI lawyer in the province.
If Iain Rankin wants to be honest with Nova Scotians, he can answer the following questions:
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‘Yes’ or ‘no,’ can Iain Rankin confirm if he had been drinking before he flipped his car into a ditch on the morning of July 25, 2005? And can Iain Rankin confirm that he did fail a breathalyzer that same morning, twice?
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Has Iain Rankin ever driven under the influence at any time when he was not caught? Or was it simply that he happened to be caught the only times he chose to drive drunk?
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Will Iain Rankin release all the documents he disclosed to the Liberal Party when he was nominated as a candidate, joined Cabinet, and ran for the Party’s leadership?
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What were the circumstances of the first arrest? Was there another motor vehicle accident? What caused the police to arrest him? Will he release the police records of this arrest?
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Has Iain Rankin ever driven under the influence of cannabis or any other drugs?
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When he was driving impaired, did Iain Rankin cause damages to any individuals or to private property?
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What treatment was Iain Rankin directed to receive by the judge? Did he complete this treatment?
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On Monday, Iain Rankin said that he had learned lessons. What lessons did he learn?
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Does Iain Rankin still drink?
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Have any other members of the Liberal Cabinet or government been caught driving under the influence?
Iain Rankin staged his apology at a COVID-19 briefing to limit the number of questions he would need to answer about his record. Reporters were given less than 17 minutes for questions and answers, and his efforts to conceal his mistakes since taking office have been well-documented.
Today, at a media availability he declined to state that he was not drunk on the day he was arrested for the second charge of driving under the influence. There are many questions outstanding that Nova Scotians deserve to be answered, anything short goes to Rankin’s trustworthiness and poor judgment.
If the Premier wants to be honest with Nova Scotians, he can answer the questions above and provide Nova Scotians with the relevant documentation. You can get acquitted on technicalities in a court of law - but a candidate for Premer can’t expect to escape on same technicalities.
Barbara Adams, MLA
Cole Harbour Eastern Shore
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