Charlie Angus writes to his constituents.

Parliamentary democracy creates instability. It’s a pretty loaded statement. But this is the latest explanation from Stephen Harper in justifying his decision to shut down the House of Commons. Harper says he locked out Parliament to send a signal of stability to the markets. This is the kind of assurances one would normally expect from a generalissimo decked out in gold embroidered epaulets. But Harper’s decision to shut Parliament down twice in one year, speaks to a different kind of coup that’s been taking place. This isn’t a coup of generals. It’s a coup of pinstripes.