On December 4, 2008, Stephen Harper asked the Governor General to prorogue (or suspend) Parliament in order to avoid the negative repercussions of his government’s fiscal update – an update that was so appalling, opposition parties threatened to gather in coalition to defeat it.
One year later, Harper has requested – and received - a second prorogation, this time to avoid accountability for the treatment of Afghan detainees, while at the same time padding the Senate committees with a Conservative majority.
Parliament was supposed to resume on January 25th. As a result of the prorogation, many bills will not be passed and parliamentary committees will have to start over again when Parliament resumes in March.
Harper’s decision to prorogue is undemocratic and shows a disturbing contempt for Parliament. The government is operating under the assumption that Canadians won’t notice – or care – about prorogation. But from coast to coast to coast, Canadians are letting Harper know they want a government that’s honest, transparent, and accountable to its citizens.
Let Harper know you want him to get back to work.
- Send a letter to your MP asking them to show up for work in Ottawa on January 25th – as scheduled
- Join the Facebook page “Canadians against Proroguing Parliament”. Over 170,000 Canadians already have.
- Find out about rallies in your community. There are currently over 30 events planned in cities across Canada.
- Watch and share a video explaining the background on Harper’s attack on parliament.