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Tory Senator steps down: More resignations to come?

Conservative senator David Braley has retired from the upper chamber, effective immediately, three years before facing the mandatory retirement age of 75.

According to CTV News, the Hamilton-based businessman — who also owns the CFL's Toronto Argos and B.C. Lions — is retiring partly due to "frustrations and disappointment over the ongoing Senate expense scandal."

He sent letter of resignation to the Governor General last week but the news wasn't made public until Tuesday.

A significant donor to the Conservative Party, Braley was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2010.

[ Related: Senator Patrick Brazeau lands a job as Frank Magazine’s newest Parliament Hill reporter ]

The sudden resignation has raised questions about Senate morale in light of the expense scandal.

According to the iPolitics, other Tories might follow Braley's lead.

Sources say a number of Conservative senators are unhappy with the way they were ordered to oust Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau.

“It’s not a very good atmosphere,” [Conservative] Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu conceded.

Others, who spoke privately, said they suspect Braley won’t be the last although they refused to name names.

Senators might also be perturbed about their own housing and expense claims ahead of the Auditor General's full audit of all senator's expenses.

On Tuesday, Senate speaker Noël Kinsella said that rules need to be more clear.

"We were using ordinary language that everybody understood — we all knew where we lived, as least I thought we all knew where we lived — and it became problematic," Kinsella told reporters, according to the National Post.

"The auditors were very clear…the rules were not crystal clear.

"We here, we all knew what it meant and I guess some didn’t. Do we need greater clarity? Yes we do."

[ More Politics: Tory MP Michael Chong’s bid to give MPs more power elicits lively debate ]

Braley's retirement means that there are now 9 vacant seats in the red chamber.

Standings in the Senate
Conservative Party: 57
Liberal Party: 32
Independent: 7
Vacant seats: 9
TOTAL 105

Certainly, it wouldn't be politically wise to appoint any senators in the midst of the Senate scandal.

But, as the numbers suggest, if Harper loses many more Conservatives he'll need to make appointments to keep his upper chamber majority.

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