From the article:  "By Canadian standards, that should have been the end of Mr. Bernier’s political career. Unlike Americans, we’re not typically given to redemption stories. Yet, it’s hard not to qualify the astonishingly strong campaign Mr. Bernier has run for the Conservative leadership as just that."

The very idea that many of the MPs that get elected in the first place would indicate that some Canadian voters really don't care what the people they elect have done in the past or are likely to do once in power.  Canadian voters are either not informed about their vote choices or they just don't care especially if they are an avid party supporter of any colour.