Conservatve MP Eve Adams is shown responding to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Nov. 28, 2013.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Conservative MP Eve Adams' closely fought nomination battle has made her a rare sight on Parliament Hill lately.
In the past month, Ms. Adams has attended 3 of 38 votes in the House of Commons, parliamentary records show – two on May 13, and one on May 5.
Votes are an indicator of attendance, though the House doesn't publish a public list of MP attendance. A Globe reporter also didn't spot Ms. Adams in Question Period this week, which is the last sitting week before her nomination vote in a suburban Toronto riding.
A spokesperson for Conservative whip John Duncan declined to say if Ms. Adams, who suffered a concussion earlier this year, is on a leave either for her injury or her campaign.
Ms. Adams' Twitter feed indicates her campaign is in full swing, heading up to a vote on May 24. "We are busy, busy bees. The 2 week countdown is on," she wrote on May 10. "Hey it's down to single-digit countdown!!" she added on May 15.
In a brief e-mailed statement, Ms. Adams declined to say if she was on leave, comment on her campaign obligations or say if MPs were granted leeway in attendance during nomination races.
"Until my concussion I had one of the top attendance and voting records in the House of Commons," she said.
House of Commons rules deduct $120 in pay from MPs for every day, past 21 days per session, that the MP doesn't attend a sitting "for reasons other than illness or official business." Since Ms. Adams suffered a concussion, it's unclear whether her recent absences would ultimately see her pay deducted.
Ms. Adams is MP for the Greater Toronto Area riding of Mississauga–Brampton South, but is seeking the nomination in a new riding to the west, Oakville North–Burlington, where she and her fiancé bought a home last year. If she wins the nomination, she'll run in that riding for the Conservatives in next year's election.
That has pitted her against a local chiropractor, Natalia Lishchyna.
The race has been closely fought – Ms. Adams fiancé, Dimitri Soudas, was forced out of his job as executive director of the Conservative Party amid questions about his role in Ms. Adams' race. The party also investigated allegations of misconduct by Ms. Adams.
The May 24 vote will be the third in Conservative nomination races so far. The first saw incumbent MP Rob Anders lose to former Alberta finance minister Ron Liepert. The second is scheduled for the night before Ms. Adams' vote, with Dufferin-Caledon incumbent David Tilson facing a challenge from Paul Hong. The Globe has reported that more than 100 candidates have won their Conservative party nominations without challengers.