Every Surrey city councillor needs to decide who comes first, Doug McCallum, or the people of Surrey: Councillor Linda Annis 

Surrey, B.C. (May 25, 2022): Surrey First Councillor Linda Annis says Surrey councillors need to put the people of Surrey ahead of Doug McCallum and vote to sideline the mayor at least until his court case is heard and a decision about his guilt or innocence is made. 

“By any measure, Doug McCallum should step aside from the mayor’s chair, the police board and Metro Vancouver, as the criminal case against him is heard,” said Annis. “Particularly now that more and more details about his mischief case are being made public.

“Doug McCallum has lost the confidence of the people of Surrey. The four councillors who support him: Doug Elford, Laurie Guerra, Mandeep Nagra and Allison Patton, need to take a good look in the mirror and ask themselves why they continue to give Doug McCallum a free pass while they ignore what’s best for our city. Their personal loyalty should be to the city, not the mayor.”

Annis said the “blind support” of the four councillors is the only thing keeping McCallum in the mayor’s chair.

“We were elected to do what’s best for our city and that means Doug McCallum should take a leave and step aside as the court hears his case and makes a decision,” added Annis. “And if he won’t do the right thing voluntarily, then as councillors we all have a responsibility to put our city and its residents first, ahead of any personal bias. The case against Doug McCallum has gone beyond being a laughable distraction, particularly when you read the evidence against him, where his version of things just doesn’t match up with the facts.”

Annis said by propping up McCallum, Elford, Nagra, Patton and Guerra are complicit and the important role they play around this issue deserves new attention.

“Public and media attention is on Doug McCallum, but it’s time to put some attention on the four people who are actually keeping him in office, when he should stand aside temporarily until a court decision is made,” added Annis. “We have nearly 600,000 people in Surrey, but there are just four who are preventing council from doing the right thing.”