Much has been debated about the potential costs for Canada's democracy with this winter's prorogation of Parliament.

But the CBC's Hannah Thibedeau looked into the real economic costs of this Parliamentary pause.

What she learned:

• 222 seasonal employees (who only work when Parliament sits) have been temporarily laid off. These represent a wide range of employees, from dishwashers in the cafeteria, to translators and other clerks who work on the official Hansard record of proceedings. Many of these staff are in lower pay scales.
• The Public Service Alliance of Canada, the union representing many of these workers, says about 120 of these employees risk losing pension and health benefits. (If their annual hours drop below 700 hours, they cease to be considered employees.)
• A reasonable estimate for the operating costs of the 22 days Parliament is now NOT sitting during this prorogation period is more than $48 million. While the salaries these layoffs represent, as well as other activity-based costs, will be saved while nothing is happening on Parliament Hill, the rest of this cost remains, no matter what.
• It's difficult to estimate exactly how much taxpayers are spending without receiving any value in the form of legislative progress, but suffice to say it may be significant.