No special treatment for ex-MLA, says premier

Former MLA Dave Wilson isn't getting special treatment with regards to the nearly $61,000 he has yet to pay back to the province, says Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter.

Wilson was ordered by the courts to pay back the tens of thousands of dollars he stole from taxpayers to support his gambling addiction.

Last week, CBC News learned that theprovince has made no attempt to tryto recoup the money Wilson owesin the nine months since he was sentenced.

Dexter said he has been assured the province is taking steps to recover the $61,000.

Wilson has been out of jail for the past seven months. He collects his MLA pension and is working at aradio station in Glace Bay.

While Dexter said the province is pursuing the matter, the premier said he does not deal directly in matters such as these. .

Dexter said he's not sure what the workload is like at the province's collection department or how quickly it takes them to process files but he said Wilson is not and will not be treated any differently from anyone else who owes the province money.