Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc concedes Julie Payette's resignation as governor general shows a need to strengthen the process for vetting vice-regal appointments.Payette resigned Thursday, about a week after the government received the damning findings of an independent investigation into allegations that she presided over a toxic work environment at Rideau Hall.LeBlanc says the report, commissioned by the Privy Council Office which he oversees, came to ``compelling'' and ``stark'' conclusions.He says the debacle of Payette's tenure shows that the vetting system for such

Julie Payette has resigned as Governor General following an investigation into allegations of a toxic workplace at Rideau Hall. She issued a statement apologizing for tensions in her office but did not take direct responsibility for creating such an atmosphere. Says Payette, "We all experience things differently, but we should always strive to do better, and be attentive to one another's perceptions." She also suggests the move was made for personal reasons, citing her father's declining health. The allegations against Payette include that she belittled and publicly humiliated employees, redu

Gov. Gen. Julie Payette is resigning. The news comes as the results of an investigation into allegations of a toxic workplace environment at Rideau Hall are expected to be released. The Privy Council Office revealed last year that Quintet Consulting Corp. had been hired to conduct a third-party investigation into allegations of workplace harassment in the office of the Governor General. That came after CBC reports alleged that Payette belittled and publicly humiliated employees, reducing some to tears or prompting them to quit. That prompted the Privy Council Office to launch a workplace revie

Federal officials say COVID-19 case counts in Canada seem to be on the decline, but warn that infection rates are still highest among the people most vulnerable to severe illness. In a daily update, Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada has averaged 6,309 new diagnoses a day over the past week, and 148 deaths from the illness each day. But Tam says she expects that cases of severe illness will continue to rise, because it takes several days for symptoms to get bad enough to require hospitalization. The downward trend in infections seems to be holding steady in two of Canada's hardest-hit provinces. Ont

The White House says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will speak with newly inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday.Press secretary Jen Psaki says Trudeau will be the first foreign leader to speak with Biden since his inauguration.The two have a lot to talk about: hours after his inauguration, Biden signed an executive order effectively cancelling the US$8-billion Keystone XL pipeline expansion.In a statement, Trudeau says he's disappointed in the decision, but appreciates Biden's commitment to climate change — a sign Ottawa isn't going to push hard on trying to reverse the decision.He

Controversial MP Derek Sloan has been kicked out of the Conservative caucus in a move party leader Erin O'Toole said was due to a "pattern of destructive behaviour" that had become a distraction. But Sloan is not going quietly. On Facebook, he urged so-called "blue" Tories to keep their party memberships and make their voices heard at an upcoming policy convention. Party leader Erin O'Toole initiated the caucus removal process late Monday after news of the donation surfaced. Sloan did not dispute he received the money from Paul Fromm, but has said he was unaware of it. Sloan has been in hot wa

Canadian leaders and health officials are promising that a slowdown in delivery of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine will only be temporary. But Major-General Dany Fortin says Canada will get no doses of vaccine from Pfizer at all next week. Fortin, the vice-president of operations at the Public Health Agency of Canada, says this week's shipment is almost one-fifth smaller than expected. He says Pfizer is still expected to meet its contractual obligation to ship 4 million doses to Canada by the end of March. Pfizer is upgrading its plant in Belgium, which is causing the delay.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says any Canadian planning an international trip should cancel it. Trudeau is warning that while Canadians have the right to travel, the government could at any time, and without warning, enforce new restrictions on travellers returning to Canada. New variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 add a level of uncertainty that could affect decisions about how to handle international arrivals. The Public Health Agency of Canada has documented 183 flights arriving in Canada from abroad since Jan. 4 alone, on which at least one passenger had COVID-19. That includes fo

Ontario Conservative MP Derek Sloan says he'll fight efforts by his party's leader to boot him from caucus.Sloan says a decision by leader Erin O'Toole that he should be tossed out over a donation to his leadership campaign by a known white supremacist is ridiculous.O'Toole announced he's launching the effort to remove Sloan late Monday, after news broke that Sloan's campaign had received a donation from Paul Fromm last year.O'Toole framed the decision as being a question of having no tolerance for racism within his party.But Sloan is raising questions about that approach, saying Fromm is a p