Three points, Western woods

1. conditional discharge or no, it still happened and can be relied upon by employers, membership groups and the rest of us.

2.  If the judge had considered it to be of minimal severity, he would have given him an absolute discharge.  Let's call it 'minor' instead.

3.  Surely the most significant part comes from "what was perceived to be his lack of remorse regarding that event."

And, as you say, there were 7 other factors the NDP relied upon.