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In this case, however, it appears the move to the satellite office had the added benefit of saving the party from any potential concerns about an MP having a personal relationship with an employee.

Lalonde-Fiset does not appear to have worked in the Montreal office for long. The month after she left Mai’s office, the board passed a bylaw to expressly prohibit House of Commons staff from working outside Ottawa unless they were in riding offices.

Staff who worked in the Quebec offices have moved to other locations, working either from home or from NDP Leader Tom Mulcair’s constituency office.

Neither Mai nor Lalonde-Fiset could be reached for comment. A party source said they are travelling outside the country.

Lalonde-Fiset left Mai’s office in March 2014, NDP spokesperson Valerie Dufour said in an email. “Since then, she has applied and has been hired on temporary, short-term positions within the organization.”

Citing privacy, Dufour declined to comment further on any relationship between the MP and his former employee.

“We are not in the business of policing relationships,” she said. “We expect members (of Parliament) and employees to follow the collective agreement and all House of Commons guidelines and regulations.”

Bylaws for MPs prevent them from hiring spouses or members of their immediate families but do not expressly prohibit hiring girlfriends or boyfriends.

With a caucus containing many young, single people, romantic relationships involving NDP MPs are not uncommon. One relationship even resulted in a baby. MP Rosane Doré Lefebvre last year had a child with party staffer George Soule, who regularly brings their daughter to media scrums after question period.