By Lee Carter BBC News, Toronto

Paul Martin says he will call an election later this year

Two Canadian opposition parties have shut down the country's parliament for almost a full day of business.

The main opposition Conservatives and the regional Bloc Quebecois voted to suspend business in the House of Commons shortly after it opened.

They say they are protesting against the refusal by Prime Minister Paul Martin and his governing Liberal Party to step down.

The Liberal minority government has been beset by a corruption scandal.

The two opposition parties say they are trying to prove that the Liberals no longer have the authority to govern and that they should allow a vote of no-confidence immediately.

They cite revelations of alleged corruption and wrongdoing by the Liberals emerging from a public inquiry looking into the corruption scandal.

Vote promised

Hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers' money was allegedly wasted by the government on an advertising programme in the late 1990s.

Mr Martin, who has not been personally linked to the scandal, has promised a full no-confidence vote on 19 May.

It could bring down the minority government if it is defeated and the numbers are extremely close.

The Liberals were easily outvoted 152 to 144 on the motion to shut down parliament.

Mr Martin has refused to recognise a motion earlier this week narrowly won by the opposition, recommending that the government should be advised to step down.

The prime minister has appealed in vain for the public inquiry looking into the corruption scandal to be allowed to complete its work by the end of the year.

But that now seems like a most remote possibility as Canada's daily government business continues to be thrown into disarray.