Parliament Suspended Until January 26

One hundred and forty-two minutes: That's how long it took Prime Minister Stephen Harper to emerge from Rideau Hall this morning to announce that Governor General Michaëlle Jean had granted his request to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament until Jan. 26. The first item on the agenda upon the resumption of Parliament will be the presentation of a federal budget. In comments to reporters, the prime minister pledged to try to address the opposition parties' concerns with respect to stimulus for the beleaguered economy. Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, NDP Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe all say that the possibility of a Liberal-NDP coalition is still in the cards. Click here to discuss Harper's prorogation move and Canada's continuing political drama.