Stephen Harper is running away from accountability. Again.

Conservatives padlocking Parliament to evade tough questions on the Senate: Tom Mulcair

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to Prorogue parliament confirms what the NDP has been saying for months – Stephen Harper’s Conservative government will do whatever they can to evade accountability.

After showing up in the House of Commons only five times in the last five weeks of the Spring session, the Prime Minister now wants to shut down Parliament until October.

"People aren’t going to be fooled. This is clearly a desperate government worn out by ethical scandals and mismanagement. Stephen Harper refuses to answer legitimate questions from the public," said the Leader of the Official Opposition, Tom Mulcair.

The NDP leader added that Parliament is the place where the Conservative government must respond directly to questions about their actions – including the lavish spending of their Senators, the $90,000 cheque given to Mike Duffy by the Stephen Harper’s former Chief of Staff and the role of the Prime Minister's office in the Senate scandal.

"The Prime Minister will shut down the work of the House of Commons for the fourth time because he will do almost anything to evade questions about a Senate scandal that reaches right into Mr. Harper’s inner circle. Putting a padlock on the door of Parliament will not silence us. Mr. Harper can run but he cannot hide,” said Mr. Mulcair.