Opposition fights back on Prorogation

Opposition fights back on prorogation - thestar.com
Both the Liberal and NDP leaders are in support of the Facebook group Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament and what it stands for.

The Liberals are going to hold hearings, with key speakers who were silenced by Harper.

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Opposition critics say the latest move was a deliberate attempt to muzzle a parliamentary committee’s probe into the treatment of Afghan detainees.

But Layton said today that the three opposition parties have agreed to continue their investigation unofficially with hearings scheduled to resume Feb. 3.

The prorogation also meant the end of more than 30 pieces of legislation. Parliament had been due to resume Jan. 25.

In a speech attended by NDP MPs and party supporters, Layton ripped Harper’s decision to suspend Parliament, accusing the prime minister of showing “disdain” for MPs and Canadians.

“With so many challenges facing Canada – job creation, climate change, the war in Afghanistan – Parliament must be able to do its work,” Layton said.

“The Prime Minister must be held to account,” he said.

Layton suggested that Harper may pay a political price for his decision to prorogue Parliament, extending a Christmas recess for MPs until Mar. 3.

“There’s been a real uprising of Canadians against this notion that you simply shut down Parliament whenever you feel like it as Prime Minister,” Layton said.

He said that NDP members will be active participants in cross-country rallies planned for this Saturday to protest the prorogation and called for a “new politics.”

“The new politics says there’s a better way forward – an end to secrecy and arrogance, the beginning of openness and accountability,” Layton said.
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