Guergis status sparks interest in nomination

Conservatives in the Ontario riding of embattled MP Helena Guergis are already chomping at the bit to run in her place in the next federal election.

The electoral status of the MP for Simcoe-Grey remains in limbo since Prime Minister Stephen Harper removed the former junior cabinet ministerfrom the Conservative caucus over unsubstantiated allegations of offshore financial accounts and claims of blackmail fears due to compromising photos.

"The members of the executive are getting calls all time with people expressing interest," Paul Shaw, spokesman for the Simcoe-Grey Conservative ridingassociation, told The Canadian Press.

"If Helena is not going to be the candidate they would have an interest in doing it. We get that all the time."

But Shaw and the rest of the riding association executive find themselves waiting to get marching orders from the party on when to hold the next nominationmeeting.

"I hope they give her some reasonable latitude to try and vindicate herself but if they don't do that, and they instruct us and we have to hold a candidate meeting she might not be able to participate in a candidate selection process," said Shaw.

Guergis's tenuous situation in the riding raises questions about what the Conservatives will do should the allegations hanging over her be discredited.

No evidence has emerged to date to substantiate allegations that compromising photos of Guergis and her husband, former Tory MP Rahim Jaffer, exist. And no concrete details have arisenconcerning allegations of tax evasion by the couple.

Given how fast and how far Guergis has fallen, would Harper put the exonerated MP back in the Conservative caucus?

Dimitri Soudas, Harper's director of communications, said he would not speculate on any reinstatement.

The RCMP has yet to decide whether it will launch an investigation into the allegations brought to the Tories by a Toronto-based private investigator. Guergis and Jafferhavedenied any wrongdoing.

Jaffer and Patrick Glemaud, his business partner at consulting firm Green Power Generation, are to address allegations of improper lobbying Wednesday afternoon at the Commons committee on government operations.

Their appearance is likely to be one of the most widely watched committee hearings in recent years.

Jaffer's appearance highly anticipated

New Democrat MPPat Martin had tried to get the appearances postponed, but has now settled on asking for the legal clerk of the House of Commons to attend and make sure nothing said would hamper a future investigation or court case.

"We'll make the most of it, but we do want to avoid it becoming a circus," said Martin. "This isn't The Jerry Springer Show."

Guergis had apparently also been on the list of potential witnesses, but she wrote the clerk this week saying she preferred not to be there Wednesday.

The Liberals and Bloc Qubcois continued to press the government on what it knew about potential lobbying activities of Jaffer, Glemaud and Guergis, and why it had not taken earlier action.

Glemaud told The Canadian Press the Liberals continue to bark up the wrong tree. He acknowledged meeting with different officials around the Hill, but simply to gather information on environmental project funding something quite different than lobbying.

Glemaud, a former government bureaucrat, said he and Jaffer never received a penny from any company in exchange for lobbying work.