Tany Yao has apologized for being an MIA as the media and his party searched for his whereabouts..The Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA was one of 10 UCP members and senior staffers who jetted out of the province for warmer climes despite the province being in a full lockdown and health recommendations saying people should avoid non-essential travel..But matters were made worse in Yao’s case when he went off the grid in balmy Mexico..When the UCP snowbird scandal broke, suntanned MLAs and staffers quickly caught flights back to wintry Alberta. All, except, Yao, that is. The premier’s office could not find him for several days..“I let my guard down with the discovery and release of the vaccine,” said Yao in a text message to the Fort McMurray Today, in which he claimed he had just turned on his phone..He said he was catching the first available flight back to the country on Friday.. Mossleigh pub briefly opens before authorities move in .“I know that my constituents, Albertans and the premier expect a role model of the highest quality. As a former paramedic/firefighter… I do know the effort and discipline required to be a good role model. I am truly sorry I disappointed,” he told Today..“I can only hope to continue to work hard and gain the confidence of those same constituents, Albertans and the premier.”.Yao was responsible for getting a private member’s bill into law ending the NDP governments ban on paying people for giving blood..“I’ve endured abuse and slander in social and mainstream media over my private member’s bill, which they misconstrued – I just wanted to disconnect and clear my head after this last year, he told.Yao, like other other MLAs, have been removed from their legislature positions but remains a full member of the UCP Caucus. Kenney’s chief-of-staff Jamie Huckabay was fired after travelling to the UK..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter.com/nobby769
