Canadian Parliament Suspended until January 26

I listened to the talk-radio shows today while driving and, of course, the one thing everyone is talking about is the historic suspension of Parliament, a first not only for Canada, but for any commonwealth country.

The Governor General agreed with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's request to suspend Parliament until January 26th. According to the Globe and Mail, Harper asked for the suspension in order to avoid a confidence vote set for next week that he expected to lose.

The government machinations of the last few weeks have been difficult for many Canadians and new residents in Canada to understand, since they involve little-used aspects of the Constitution, including suspending Parliament and the potential for a coalition government (made up of the coalition of Liberals and NDPs, in this case), should Harper be ousted by a no confidence vote.

Quick primer on the back story to the Parliament suspension.

So what do you think? Should Harper and the Governor General have suspended Parliament? Is it a smart move, keeping the government together in a time of economic crisis? Or too dictatorial for your taste? Tell us what you think!