The BC NDP’s razor-thin minority government was threatened briefly last week after one of its MLAs was jailed.
Fortunately for the party, a colleague was on hand to bail her out right away.
Burnaby-Deer Lake MLA Anne Kang volunteered to be cuffed and thrown into a make-shift jail at Lougheed Town Centre Friday morning to support three local Mounties raising money for cancer research and programs.
No sooner was Kang arrested, however, than fellow Burnaby NDP MLA Raj Chouhan was on hand with donations, including one from Premier John Horgan, to get her out.
“We can’t afford to leave one of our MLAs here in the cell,” Chouhan joked.
Sgt. Tess Landry, Sgt. Derek Thibodeau and Cpl. Michael Kalanj arrested seven volunteers in all and raised more than $12,000 for the Cops for Cancer Tour de Coast Greater Vancouver fundraising ride later this month.
Kang said one of the reasons she volunteered is that a number of her dear friends and family have battled cancer.
“It’s the least I could do,” she said.
Other volunteers included Global news anchor Sonia Sunger, Burnaby Board of Trade president and CEO Paul Holden, Burnaby school board vice-chair Baljinder Narang, BIA member Joy Rajasooriar, Burnaby RCMP Staff Sgt. Maj John Buis and Insp. Sanjaya Wijayakoon.
Buis was the top fundraiser at $7,045 as of Monday afternoon, followed by Kang at $2,030 and Holden at $1,080.
During the event, one Burnaby man battling cancer donated $2,000.
He asked to remain anonymous.
To donate to Burnaby’s Cops for Cancer jail-and-bail event, visit tinyurl.com/BBYJail-Bail.
