Thanks to Sean in Ottawa's opening post in a babble thread [2] this list came to my attention. I have added the links for those whose knowledge of history is as bad as mine!
Steven Harper wanted to shut down Parliament just because he does not agree with it. Some say this is unprecedented.
In fact, Harper is following parliamentary tradition. Consider the following precedents:
1629 King Charles I [3] in England
1799 Napoleon [4] in France
1913: Victoriano Huerta [5] in Mexico
1933: Adolf Hitler [6] in Germany
1936 Francisco Franco [7] in Spain
1939: Benito Mussolini [8] in Italy
1973: Augusto Pinochet [9] in Chile
2008: Steven Harper [10] in Canada
Links:
[1] http://rabble.ca/taxonomy/term/324
[2] http://rabble.ca/babble/canadian-politics/harper-following-parliamentary-tradition
[3] http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page76.asp
[4] http://books.google.ca/books?id=0Ty_weJuX_cC&pg=PA230&lpg=PA230&dq=Napoleon+prorogue+parliament&source=web&ots=dFh8NRJLAI&sig=xjntz3lPb1T0LDPSSWqG0aBesQI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result
[5] http://www.conservapedia.com/List_of_dictators
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler
[7] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/216925/Francisco-Franco
[8] http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Benito-Amilcare-Andrea-Mussolini
[9] http://www.nndb.com/people/393/000022327/
[10] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/05/stephen-harper-parliament-suspended-canada
[11] http://rabble.ca/user
[12] http://rabble.ca/user/register