Plus, the Senate creates a standalone 'audit and oversight committee' for Senate expenses, with membership extended to non-Senators.

Plus, Conservatives pursue a new avenue to revive attention on the WE Charity controversy.

Plus, Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says the deficit could hit $328.5-billion this fiscal year.

Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard says she had hoped the speech would have made specific references to the development of a Black-Canadian justice strategy.

Plus, the Liberal Party postpones its November policy convention to April 2021 due to the pandemic.

Plus, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the speech was 'clear' that a fiscal update in the fall would be coming, when pressed on whether a budget for this year was in the works.

The speech did not promise a full-fledged budget, but said an update to the feds’ COVID-19 Economic Response plan would be coming this fall.

Plus, Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, issues her latest warning about the spike in cases, saying that unless people limit social gatherings, another lockdown may be coming.

As parties attempt to hash out a workable sitting plan, House administration has been working behind the scenes to test the voting app for potential glitches. 

Plus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appoints longtime bureaucrat Iain Stewart as the new president of the Public Health Agency of Canada, after the sudden resignation of Tina Namiesniowski last Friday.

Plus, the ethics commissioner says several officials can't engage in official dealings with David MacNaughton.

Plus, former Conservative leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis eyes a run in Haldimand-Norfolk, Ont., a riding that has long been held by the Conservatives and a seat that will be vacated by the incumbent MP.

Plus, the Canadian Labour Congress is mounting a lobbying effort to influence the feds' planned overhaul of the EI system in the face of the pandemic.

Another lengthier process would have PROC report back to Parliament with committee assignments within 10 sitting days.

Plus, Ottawa has moved to certify a class action suit that the Assembly of First Nations filed in February regarding the funding of child welfare services

Plus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says decriminalization of drugs 'not a silver bullet' in fighting opioid crisis, as overdose deaths spike amid the pandemic.

'Now there’s a new imperative. Bring that mask production, or ventilator production, or for that matter, generic drugs—bring that back home,' says economist Jeff Rubin, author of The Expendables.

Plus, the NDP is calling for the resignation of Youth Minister Bardish Chagger over the 'key role' she played in choosing WE Charity for the troubled student-grant program.

Plus, the PM says Canada has signed two more vaccine deals, with Novavax and Johnson and Johnson.

Plus, the RCMP watchdog is preparing to release online summaries of its probes into allegations of wrongdoing by Mounties, in an effort at transparency.

Leslyn Lewis' team, and the party, will likely have to tread carefully to avoid undermining the autonomy of the riding associations and local volunteers who may already have candidates in mind, says Paul Thomas.

Plus, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh plans to hold a presser in Toronto on the return to school.

Some Conservatives also celebrated the win of Leslyn Lewis, the party's first Black female leadership candidate, who had an astounding finish for a relative unknown less than a year ago.

Plus, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he intends to stay on the sidelines in the next federal election, adding he's 'swamped' with COVID duties.