Tony Clement says he plans to return to Parliament this month

Tony Clement has been absent from the House of Commons since early November after admitting to sharing explicitphotos and videos of himself online but he tellsCBC News he'll be back when Parliament resumes later this month.

"I plan to be in Ottawa," he said in a brief e-mail exchange.

The return will mark a dramatic change of circumstances for the ParrySound-Muskoka MP, who has long been a fixture in Canada's conservative movement.

Clement was removed from Conservative caucus in November over a sextingscandal. Clement himself later revealed that he had shared sexually explicit images and video with multiple women. He also reported thatsomeone had attempted to bribe one woman to disclose "intimate and personal information"and that he had been targeted for extortion by someone demanding money to keep the images from being released.

He returns now to the muchlonelier role of the independent MP. He will no longer participatein committees including the high-profile national security and intelligence committee of parliamentarians. The sextingincident fuelled questions about whether Clement was specifically targeted because of his role on the national security and intelligence committee.

The RCMP, meanwhile,tellCBC Newsthat their investigation into the extortion allegation is still underway.

In an online posting in November, Clement told his Parry Sound, Ont. constituents he was committed to "getting the professional help I need to continue serving my family, my community and my country in whatever ways I can."

He did not respond to questionsfrom CBC News about how he was doing and what his expectations are for his return to Parliament Hill.

Grewal's future uncertain

Clement isn't the only MP starting the new year under a cloud. A recent House of Commons seating plan has him sharing a desk with former Liberal MPRajGrewal, who left his party's caucus after his multi-million dollar gambling problem came to light.

The Canadian Presshas reportedthat news ofGrewal'sgambling surfaced during police wiretaps investigating organized crime. Grewalhas said he borrowed money from family and friends and that "[t]his has nothing to do at all with anything sinister except to feed my own addiction."

Grewalinitially said he would resign his seat, but days later said he would insteadreflect on his political future.

In a Nov. 30 statement posted on Facebook, the Brampton East MPsaidhe would make a decision before Parliament resumes. He did not respond to recent questionsfrom CBC News about his plans.

Di Ioriostill an MP for now

One MP who is not expected on Parliament Hill when the House resumes sitting is Liberal Nicola Di Iorio.

His situation is an extraordinaryone. Heannouncedin April that he would resign "for family reasons," then said in September he was still reflecting on his political future. Di Iorio was absent from Parliament Hill for months offering the unprecedented explanation that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had assigned him responsibilities requiring him to be away.

In an online posting late last year, he said his final day as an MP would be Jan 22, 2019. That timeline allowsTrudeau to avoid callinga byelection and to leave Di Iorio'sMontreal-area seat ofSaint-Lonard-Saint-Michel vacant for the maximum time allowed nine months before the Oct. 21 general election.

There are four other vacancies in the House of Commons right now. Trudeau is expected to soon call byelections in at least three of them Outremont, YorkSimcoe and BurnabySouth. NDP MP SheilaMalcolmsonalso recently vacated her federal seatNanaimo-Ladysmithto run for a provincial seat.NDP Leader JagmeetSingh, meanwhile,is betting on BurnabySouth to give him his own seat in the House of Commons.

Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer issued a press release today demanding that the government immediately call byelections in all of the vacant seats.