Monsef names new policy director, plus staffing changes for Health Minister Hajdu

Helen Gao has temporarily joined the health minister’s office as a policy adviser, and Joanna Lam has been hired as a regional affairs adviser for the West and North.

House reports $344.2-million in spending so far in 2020-21, as BOIE extends COVID supports for MPs

MPs will be able to continue to charge the central House budget for the cost of items like masks and hand sanitizer, or office reconfiguration as a result of COVID-19, until Sept. 30, among other measures.

Hill journalists still working out the kinks after nearly a year of COVID coverage

Press Gallery president Jordan Press says Hill journalists have been incredibly accommodating to Parliamentarians, but are now asking political parties to meet the gallery halfway.

Hill reno update: House BOIE approves design for main entrance to new welcome centre complex

As of January, $185-million of the $761-million approved for the first five years of work on the Centre Block building and construction of the underground welcome centre, up to 2021-22, has been spent.

Universal basic income, transit, seniors care in focus for members heading into the Liberal policy convention

While modern technologies make a virtual gathering possible, longtime Liberal Kevin Bosch says he 'can’t wait to get back to a time when there are real flesh and blood conventions again.'

Lack of sunset clause in Canada-U.K. interim deal could stick us with status quo, say opposition MPs

Canada and the U.K. have agreed to 'strive to conclude' a comprehensive trade deal by 2024, but without a sunset clause, the current transitional pact could be in place for years to come.

Vaccine panel’s advice on AstraZeneca use for seniors to evolve as new data comes, say public health officials

Dr. Howard Njoo says NACI's recommendation advising against its use for seniors is not meant to cast doubt on the safety of the vaccine.

Threat assessments up to date for 90 per cent of missions, with the rest ‘on track’ to be done by March, says Global Affairs 

With only 55 per cent complete at the end of March 2019, the results to date are 'encouraging,' and the turnaround suggests a priority was placed on this goal, says former diplomat Roy Norton.

Pandemic supports surpass losses for lower-income households, suggests new data

Statistics Canada figures suggest Ottawa did ‘the right thing’ with its COVID-19 economic relief measures, says Senator Diane Bellemare. ‘Otherwise, the impact would have been worse.'

After Scheer’s expenses controversy, Conservatives want party to stop spending donor dollars on personal expenses

The federal Alberta riding of Edmonton West has proposed a constitutional amendment demanding that party money only be used to ‘advance the political and electoral interests of the party.’