Alberta MLA Yao surfaces

EDMONTON • Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Tany Yao, in a text from Mexico, apologized for being unreachable while travelling internationally against his own government's orders, and is returning to Canada.

In the message Yao said he had just turned on his phone and had been told about Premier Jason Kenney's orders for all MLAs, cabinet ministers and senior staffers to return to Canada.

Yao unplugged from the world because of a stressful year passing his private member's bill, which allows private companies to pay Albertans for their blood and plasma. He acknowledged that in hindsight, the trip was a bad idea. Meanwhile, the premier's office has been trying to reach him since Jan. 1 and tell him to return to Canada.

“I've endured abuse and slander in social and mainstream media over my private member's bill, which they misconstrued,” said Yao. “I just wanted to disconnect and clear my head after this last year.”

He expects to return to Canada on Jan. 8.