Rumours swirling around Ottawa suggest the Conservative government is thinking of shutting down Parliament until after the Olympics, killing some of its own bills but also ending the discussion of Afghan detainees that is nibbling away at Tory popularity.
“I have heard that from some of the public servants,” Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale said Monday of a potential prorogation. “The word they are getting is ‘get ready to clear the decks. Anything that needs to get done before a parliamentary session ends, get it done.' ”
Conservative staff members said they also have received hints that a prorogation may be in the offing. But a spokeswoman for Government House Leader Jay Hill said his office “won't indulge the Hill rumour mill.”
The rumours suggest that Parliament would return in March, when the Games are over, with a new budget that could be used to provoke an election.
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A poll by Angus Reid released Monday suggests that, since mid-November when the detainees story became front-page news, Conservative popularity has taken a hit. Across the country, the survey said, the Tories fell by 2 per cent, to 36 per cent of decided voters, while the Liberals climbed by 6 per cent, to 29 per cent of decided voters.
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And (ending Parliament) would help Mr. Harper take control of the Senate.
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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-buzzing-with-talk-of-proroguing-parliament/article1400284/
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