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The latest developments on COVID-19 in Canada for March 24

The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times eastern): 9:20 a.m. Conservative Finance critic Pierre Poilievre says there's no deal between the Liberal government and the Opposition over the proposed emergency aid bill.
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The latest news on the COVID-19 global pandemic (all times eastern):

9:20 a.m. Conservative Finance critic Pierre Poilievre says there's no deal between the Liberal government and the Opposition over the proposed emergency aid bill.

A draft of the bill that circulated yesterday suggested it would give cabinet, not MPs, extraordinary power over taxes and spending, so ministers could act without Parliament's approval for months.

Late last night, House Leader Pablo Rodriguez said the government would make changes.

But Poilievre says the bill contains several problems and he is concerned the Liberals won't address all of them.

He's calling for a copy of the bill - which has yet to be formally introduced - to be given to the Parliamentary Budget Officer immediately, so the watchdog can review it in tandem with MPs and let the public know its real implications before the vote.

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9:15 a.m.

The mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau are asking residents to limit interprovincial travel between their two cities.

The economies of the two cities, divided by the Ottawa River, are closely linked.

In a joint statement, the mayors say the situation with COVID-19 is likely to develop differently on either side of the river.

They say they want to make sure people don't spread the virus outside of their neighbourhoods or across the provincial border.

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8:45 a.m.

Ontario is expected to announce a temporary cut in hydro rates as many people work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A senior government source, who wasn't authorized to discuss the announcement publicly, says the province will lower rates for the next 45 days.

The source says it will be done by moving all of the current time-of-use pricing to off-peak rates.

Premier Doug Ford is set to make an announcement at 1 p.m alongside the province's minister of energy and other officials.

The Canadian Press

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