After scrutinizing Ruth Ellen Brosseau’s nomination papers, Elections Canada will allow Ruth Ellen Brosseau to serve as an MP in Quebec.
Elections Canada spokesman John Enright told CBC News.
"The result of the election is valid and stands unless the court rules otherwise," he said.
The New Democratic Party has taken its beleaguered Berthier-Maskinongé candidate under its wing to prepare for an eventual public appearance.
Four days after her election, Brosseau remained in an undisclosed location as a media "Where’s Ruth?" feeding frenzy continued unabated.
One television network tracked down her father in Gatineau. He said his daughter would explain everything in due time.
NDP officials, however, said Brosseau – like the NDP’s other greenhorn candidates – is now attending party boot camp to prepare for what’s ahead.
In Brosseau’s case, she is being given a crash course on what the job of MP involves and will soon be studying French intensively.
Her new riding is 95 per cent francophone, and Brosseau’s French skills are limited.
On Thursday, Brosseau participated in a telephone conference call with other newly elected NDP MPs.
She has no intention of refusing her new job and will soon meet with local officials and the media, officials said.
"The work has started," said Karl Bélanger, spokesperson for NDP leader Jack Layton.
The party defended its candidate despite reports of problems with her nomination papers. A number of people have come forward to say they never signed the candidate’s papers even though their names appear there.
Bélanger insisted everything was done according to the normal rules.
"The people of Berthier-Maskinongé have decided to vote for Madame Brosseau," said Bélanger. "She was elected by these people. We have to respect the choice they made."
The riding’s Conservative candidate, Mare-Claude Godue, called on Elections Canada to hold a new election.
A 27-year-old single mother, Brosseau was raised in Hudson, the same municipality in which Layton grew up.
She works as assistant manager at the Carleton University pub in Ottawa. She won the election even though she had never set foot in the riding and spent part of the campaign on vacation in Las Vegas.
She has a diploma in advertising and integrated marketing communications from St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ont.
Meanwhile, while much of the post-election buzz has focused on the NDP newbies, defeated Quebec MPs from the Bloc Québécois, Conservative and Liberal parties have started packing their boxes to move out of their Parliament Hill offices.
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