Though it’s largely been forgotten, Canada’s 2008–9 constitutional crisis persists as one of its formative political moments.

A fall election had yielded a minority parliament, but the governing Conservatives led by Stephen Harper seemed to take no notice. Newly reelected but lacking a majority, the government made a brazen right turn, seeking to end public financing for political parties, ban strikes in the public sector, gut federal pay equity, and sell off public assets.

A coalition partnership negotiated between the centrist Liberals and the social democratic New Democratic Party (NDP) was on the cusp of ousting Harper from power, but a short visit to Canada’s unelected head-of-state enabled him to shut down (or “prorogue,” as per the official Westminster jargon) Parliament altogether — avoiding the necessary vote of no-confidence that would have toppled his government.