OTTAWA — The Liberal Party of Canada launched new ads on Sunday targeting Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to suspend Parliament until after the Winter Olympics in February.

One French and two English-language ads were released on the Internet, and will be followed by radio and print ads on Monday.

The online ads feature an image of the Parliament buildings behind a chain-link fence and the word “Closed” across it, while a voice calls the prorogation by Harper “his holiday gift to himself.”

On Dec. 30, Harper announced that the Governor General had granted his request to prorogue the House. MPs were scheduled to return on Jan. 25.

The Liberals contend in the ads that Harper was “trying to sneak a fast one” by Canadians, and avoiding the hot seat over climate change and the Afghan detainees controversy.

Harper has argued that proroguing Parliament, which kills all government legislation and winds down parliamentary committees, is a routine procedure that will enable the government to reset its agenda.

You can see the ads at www.liberal.ca/en/newsroom/liberal-tv