Welcome back, Wajid Khan.  MP Wajid Khan was forced out of the Conservative parliamentary caucus when he was faced with charges of overspending during his campaign for office.  He was elected as a Liberal but after serving Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper as an envoy to bring back a report on the Middle East and Southeast Asia he switched to the Conservatives.  The report, which was to be made public, has remained under tight wraps.  However, the government’s Middle East policy has tilted sharply in a pro-Israeli direction.  It is uncertain what, if any, influence Khan’s fact-finding had on the tilt.

The Elections Commissioner charged Khan with overspending during the campaign by a whopping 40% — $31,118 — and making unauthorized campaign payments.  For this offense the court came down on him with a fine of $500.  The president of his riding association was hit with an additional $400 fine.  When these formalities were settled, the Conservatives took him back.