Canadian PM Stephen Harper with Governor General Michaëlle Jean at the Throne Speech opening Parliament. (Photo: CBC.ca)

In what seems to have become an annual tradition in Canadian politics, Members of Parliament returned to work this week after the government prorogued Parliament for the duration of the Olympics.  Trying to portray the closing of Parliament as "normal business," Harper stressed the need to re-examine government policy in an uncertain and changing economic world.  Then, he went to the Olympics.

Returning to work this week, several topics seem to be high on the agenda.  MP's have wasted little time reminding the government of the Afghanistan detainee situation, and renewing their calls for documents related to the treatment of detainees.  After already refusing to turn over un-redacted documents to Parliamentary committees, opposition MP's are threatening to find the government in contempt of Parliament if the documents aren't released within a week.  Harper argues that releasing the documents to official Parliamentary committees made up of the only representatives of the Canadian people is a threat to Canadian national security.

It's not hard to see why Harper decided his government needed time to re-examine it's agenda.  Beyond the uncomfortable questions being raised about detainee treatment, the government is in trouble on several counts.  In a Supreme Court case with wide-ranging implications, Canada's highest court ruled that Canadian Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Kahdr's rights have been violated.  While stopping short of ordering the government to demand his return, the court made clear that the government's actions in the case represented a clear violation of Kadhr's rights as a Canadian citizen.

Harper used the time off to do several things, beyond his Olympic photo-op's.  He appointed 6 senators to Canada's upper house, and in a stunning twist of irnony that makes your head spin, Harper argued his appointments of Senators outside the normal Parliamentary channels was vital to his desire to create a more representative and efficient body.  A strong supporter of the notion of an Equal, Elected, and Effective (Triple-E) Senate in words, Harper argues the appointment of unelected Senators is necessary to his vision of an elected Senate.  As true as that may be in reality, it's hard to ignore the negative, undemocratic optics of appointments made outside of Parliament.

As the 21st century evolves, Canada is becoming more and more Orwellian.  Our government argues that releasing documents to the elected representatives of the people of Canada is a threat to the security of those people.  Our government argues that it doesn't matter whether the rights of a Canadian citizen were violated in a foreign land, because he is an accused terrorist.  Our government argues that appointing unelected Senators outside of the normal Parliamentary procedures is a vital tool to increased democracy.  Our government even has the audacity to argue that suspending the only elected body that represents the will of the people is necessary to preserve and strengthen Canadian democracy.  George Orwell called that DoubleSpeak, and surely, "Prorogue is Democracy" is at least as absurd as "War is Peace."