Tories paying own way for Conservative convention

Whilequestions continueto swirl about the expenseclaims of threeTory senators, Conservatives attending this weekend's nationalparty convention in Calgary will bepaying their own costs.

"ConservativeMPswill be paying their own way to attend the Conservative Party National Convention in Calgary," a spokesperson for government whip John Duncan confirmedin an email to CBC News.

According to House of Commons rules, members of Parliament are allowed to be reimbursed for expenses related to national caucus meetings that occur at national conventions. But theTories are notholding a national caucus meeting in Calgary.

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Tory senators will also be paying their own way to the national convention.But with costs for admission up to $900, and Calgary considered an expensive city, somemay be having second thoughts aboutattending.

"At this particular time from a financial perspective, the way it's set up this year, I have financial responsibilities in terms of my life and my family and I think my time would be best served doing what I should be doing as a senator," said Conservative Senator Larry Smith, who told CBC News that he hadn't planned on going.

It's also unclear whether the bad press from the Senate scandal may have senators reconsidering their attendance. But former government leader in the Senate Marjory LeBretoninsisted thatsenators have notbeen told to stay home from the convention.

No one has been told not to go. That is false, LeBreton wrote in an email to Global News.The only concern is whether we will be wrapped up in time in the Senate to catch our flights.

The various procedural wranglings over debatemotions on whether tosuspend senators Mike Duffy, PamelaWallinand PatrickBrazeauover their Senate expense claims couldmean someConservative senators will miss the convention.

But ConservativeParty president John Walsh told The Canadian Press that approximately 3,000 members areexpected to attend Prime Minister Stephen Harper's speech Friday eveninga record turnoutfor the movement, particularly considering the event was postponedby spring flooding in Alberta.

"Our party is pretty dedicated at our conventions to talkingabout policy and constitutional amendments, we spend a lot of timein our agenda doing that, and our people are very eager to dothat," Walsh said in an interview.

"Our membership is a very loyal membership, they want to comeand hear from the prime minister, they want to come and meet caucusmembers to be able to talk about the issues."