MP Helena Guergis Recovering At Home After Crash
Posted August 12, 2010 4:14 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Pregnant MP Helena Guergis was recovering at home Thursday after a car crash on a military base sent her to hospital.
Guergis, the member of Parliament for Simcoe-Grey, was at CFB Borden when another car hit the vehicle in which she and her assistant were travelling, a spokeswoman said.
Military police at CFB Borden attended the scene and Maj. Lionel Smith said they are investigating the incident. He said the speed limit at the intersection where the accident occurred was 50 kilometres per hour.
Department of Defence spokesman Matthew Lindsey confirmed Guergis was transported to Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston, Ont., for observation.
“Helena was driven by her assistant Valerie Knight when they were hit by a car,” Lindsey said from Ottawa.
In the afternoon she was given the choice to stay or wait at home for blood test results, and Guergis chose to leave, said Angela Foulds, at the MP’s constituency office.
“Both Helena and Val are feeling a little sore and are at home resting with family,” Foulds said in a statement.
“In light of this unfortunate incident, Helena and Val will be taking some time off to take care of their health and spend some time with family.”
Guergis had been en route on to join Minister of Defence Peter MacKay at an infrastructure announcement in her riding — even though she is no longer in the Conservative fold.
The Ontario MP, now sits as an Independent after being turfed from the Conservative caucus in late April.
Guergis was pushed from cabinet, caucus and ultimately the Conservative nomination in her Ontario riding over allegations she had used her position to further the private business interests of her husband Rahim Jaffer.
Jaffer, a former Conservative MP, was the subject of a Commons committee probe looking at his business dealings. The opposition claimed got favourable treatment from two cabinet ministers when he made inquiries about access to a green fund.
Jaffer is not registered as a lobbyist and denied any wrongdoing or receiving any federal cash.
He also pleaded guilty to careless driving and was fined $500 for an incident last September.
Harper referred the Guergis matter to the Mounties in late April, and said “pending resolution, she will sit outside the Conservative caucus.”
But the RCMP found no grounds for charges in July and she remains an Independent MP.
