There’s been a most intriguing string of events lately on Parliament Hill involving a former cabinet minister/member of the Conservative party caucus and her husband, a disgraced former Member of Parliament.
Helena Guergis and Rahim Jaffer have proven to be the source of quite a headache for the Conservative Party, with Jaffer, the former MP for Edmonton Strathcona having been arrested on charges of impaired driving and cocaine possession (he was later only convicted on the lesser charge of careless driving) and Guergis coming under fire of late for her husbands conduct, but allegations have also surfaced recently surrounding Guergis and Jaffer partying in what sounds like seedier atmospheres surrounded by prostitution and drug use, although those allegations are as yet unproven and could very well be false.
To make matters more interesting, the federal ethics commissioner was asked to look into the financing behind Guergis’ purchase of a home in Ottawa, although the reasoning for the commissioner to be asked to do so is unclear.
In light of all this, Prime Minister Harper accepted Guergis’ resignation from cabinet and ejected her from caucus pending an investigation by the RCMP, a move that has not happened since the Mulroney days.
While Guergis is to be presumed innocent, this could prove to be a very interesting, very trying time for her, Jaffer and the Conservative Party, which is coming under more fire from the opposition over this latest scandal involving high profile members of their caucus.
