In 2009, Harper again asked the governor general to prorogue Parliament for two months. He argued that his government needed to consult with Canadians and businesses as it dealt with economic issues during the recession of 2008–09. However, the move was widely criticized as a tactic to give the government time to gain a majority on Senatecommittees. It was also seen as a way to avoid investigations into allegations that the government had ignored the torture of detainees during the War in Afghanistan. The 2009 episode led to a debate about whether governments were using prorogation as a political tool to further their own causes.