Rumours swirl about a Conservative plan to delay Parliament’s return until after the Olympics
According to a report in The Globe and Mail, the Conservative government is considering shutting down Parliament until the end of the Winter Games. The Conservative plan, the rumours suggest, is to have Parliament return in March (rather than late January), when a budget would be presented in a bid to force an election. Not only would a prorogation put an end to the Conservatives’ public grilling over the treatment of Afghan detainees, it would allow Stephen Harper to reshape the Senate. There are five seats that become available on Jan. 2 and ending the Parliamentary session would allow Harper to change the make-up of Senate committees, which would otherwise remain under the Liberals’ control. However, a prorogation would also mean a quick death to cherished Conservative bills on issues like crime and consumer protections.