Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ducked a question this morning about how he can call Julie Payette an ``excellent'' governor general as she faces allegations of workplace harassment. Trudeau told reporters that Payette, ``has a long and successful role as a scientist and an astronaut.'' He repeated that the federal government has hired a third-party reviewer to follow up on the harassment claims. There are reports that some of the whistleblowers who came forward with the allegations are now reconsidering the external review into Rideau Hall after Trudeau's defense of Payette.

The Bank of Canada is keeping its key interest rate target on hold at 0.25 per cent and says it will stay there until inflation is back on target. The central bank's key rate has remained at its lower effective bound since March when COVID-19 lockdowns plunged the economy into crisis.In a statement today, the central bank's governing council says that bounce-back activity in the third quarter looks to be faster than it anticipated in July. But it warns of indicators like an uneven rebound in employment and subdued business confidence that points to a slow and choppy recovery process. The bank

The federal government is creating a new national program to help Black Canadians get business loans with national banks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected Black Canadians and put a spotlight on inequality in Canada. The new program will include $53 million for Black business organization to help entrepreneurs access funding, mentorship, financial planning and business training. Another $6.5 million will go to collect data on the state of Black entrepreneurship and identify the barriers preventing Black Canadians from succeeding in b

There are 133,747 confirmed cases in Canada. Quebec: 63,876 confirmed (including 5,770 deaths, 56,162 resolved) Ontario: 43,536 confirmed (including 2,813 deaths, 39,196 resolved) Alberta: 15,093 confirmed (including 247 deaths, 13,154 resolved) British Columbia: 6,591 confirmed (including 213 deaths, 4,978 resolved) Saskatchewan: 1,669 confirmed (including 24 deaths, 1,587 resolved) Manitoba: 1,349 confirmed (including 16 deaths, 940 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,086 confirmed (including 65 deaths, 1,018 resolved) Newfoundland and Labrador: 269 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 265 resolved) New Bru

Canadians appear to still have solid faith in doctors and scientists nearly six months into the COVID-19 pandemic.A new survey done for Proof Strategies over the Labour Day weekend suggests more than eight in 10 Canadians trust doctors and nearly eight in 10 trust scientists.That shows little change from the levels of trust recorded in a similar survey from the beginning of May, and remains higher than the levels recorded by the same survey taken in January. Provincial premiers also seem to be earning more trust from their constituents than they were before the pandemic, though only about half

The federal government is extending its commercial rent-relief program one last time.The Liberals say the program that aims to help small businesses with their rent or lease costs will be extended for this month, unveiling the details one week after rent was due.In a release, the government says the one-month lifeline is a "final extension" for the program and that officials are looking at other options to help small businesses.The rent-relief program provides forgivable loans that cover half of rent for eligible small businesses, and also requires landlords to waive a further one-quarter of w

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is naming his shadow cabinet, including his predecessor Andrew Scheer as the party's infrastructure critic.O'Toole is keeping Ontario's Pierre Poilievre as finance critic and promoting Alberta's Michelle Rempel Garner to health critic and New Brunswick's Rob Moore to justice critic.Critics are government ministers' main questioners in the House of Commons and are supposed to be ready to move into their offices if the Opposition took over governing.Ontario MP Michael Chong is taking a big step up to become the Conservatives' critic for foreign affairs.Alain Ray

The leader of New Brunswick's Progressive Conservatives has ditched a candidate who reposted a Facebook message that suggested violence against a transgender person. Blaine Higgs says he was disturbed by the reposting of the meme by Roland Michaud, the party's candidate in Victoria-La Vallee.Higgs said he only became aware of the repost today.The post suggested a transgender woman should be punched for trying to use a woman's washroom.Michaud wasn't immediately available for comment.

One of the country's largest labour organizations is launching a campaign to coincide with Labour Day to push for changes to the federal social safety net.The Canadian Labour Congress is hoping the government widens planned changes to the employment insurance system to provide jobless benefits to any worker in the country. President Hassan Yussuff says the changes are practical steps the federal government can take to better prepare the country for future economic crises. Congress president Hassan Yussuff says many workers and families would not have survived financially so far had it not been