Canada’s top central banker says adding an income-support measure like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to the government’s tool kit could help the country more quickly respond to sudden shifts in the economy.
More than 8.1 million workers have applied for the $2,000-a-month benefit since it became available at the beginning of April, with payments now totalling over $38.4 billion. [ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ] Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz says a program like it would help because the central bank will likely have less policy room to manoeuvre when the next shock rolls around.