Conservatives Make History - At Breaking The Law

Elections Canada has the ability to revoke a Member of Parliament's power to vote in the House of Commons if that member refuses to give information or refuses to open his or her financial books. The independent body never has had to do this. It has threatened to do this though, a Liberal in 2005, but he then gladly submitted. With the Conservative Party however, because Elections Canada is investigating them for elections fraud, they seem a little more hesitant.

In addition, at present, it's not just one Conservative MP that is refusing, it's 17. The Toronto Star gives a great examination of the situation here. Of the notable Conservatives, there's Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon and Heritage Minister Josée Verner, and chief party whip Jay Hill. Of the lesser Conservatives, of which there are many, there is Quebec MPs Sylvie Boucher, Daniel Petit, Steven Blaney, Jacques Gourde, Luc Harvey, and Christian Paradis; B.C. MPs Ron Cannan, Dick Harris, Jim Abbott and Colin Mayes; Ontario MP Patricia Davidson; and Saskatchewan MP David Anderson.

Later today Elections Canada will make it's decision known. It could be that these Conservative MPs may be made useless and not be allowed to continue voting, or they may resume being useless and continue to vote. Either way, the scope of the Elections Canada investigation and the threat to 17 sitting MPs, makes the current Conservative Party historically criminal.