How It Works
The Mechanism
Everything Dies on Prorogation
When Parliament is prorogued: all bills die on the Order Paper (must be reintroduced), all committee studies terminate (must be reauthorized), all committee orders for document production expire, and all parliamentary investigations in progress end. The PM requests prorogation from the Governor General — who conventionally grants it. There is no parliamentary vote. The PM unilaterally shuts down the institution that holds the government accountable.
2008 — Prorogation to Avoid Non-Confidence
PM Harper prorogued Parliament in December 2008 to avoid a non-confidence vote and a proposed coalition government (Liberal-NDP, with Bloc support). Rather than face the democratic will of the House, the PM shut down Parliament entirely. This established the precedent that prorogation could be used as a political escape mechanism rather than a routine administrative tool.
2020 — WE Charity Investigation Killed
PM Trudeau prorogued Parliament in August 2020 while four House committees were actively investigating the WE Charity scandal and the government's role in awarding a sole-source contract. Prorogation immediately terminated all committee investigations, all document production orders, and all pending witness testimony. When Parliament resumed, the investigations had to restart — and the political pressure had dissipated.
The Accountability Escape Hatch
When committees get too close to accountability — documents about to be produced, witnesses about to testify, non-confidence motions pending — the PM prorogues. No vote required. No justification needed. The institution designed to hold the government accountable is unilaterally silenced by the government. This is the democratic deficit made literal.