Instead of resuming work on January 25, Parliament will resume on March 3 with a speech from the throne, followed by a new budget the next day, said a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Harper asked the Governor General by telephone on December 30 to prorogue the current Parliament.

Prorogation kills almost all legislation in its tracks, and also disbands all Parliamentary committees - including the committee looking into how the government handled Afghan detainees.

The down time will also give Harper time to fill five vacancies in the Senate, the spokesperson noted.