Simple answer to many complicated questions

Andrew Coyne:

In what other democracy is it permissible for the government of the day to hide from the legislature for months at a time? To ignore explicit parliamentary votes demanding the production of documents? To stonewall independent inquiries? Perhaps the rules allow it elsewhere, but is it the practice? Does convention not still forbid it? Is it not viewed in other countries as dictatorial behaviour, and therefore, you know … not done?

In fact, none of the Cons' behaviour is any more "permissible" or in accordance with "the rules" in Canada than it would be anywhere else. But the next time Stephen Harper shows any conscience about demolishing laws, rules, convention or any other set of principles in the name of political gain will be the first - and what we lack are enforcement mechanisms to hold a sociopathic government to even minimal standards of behaviour.