Bank of Canada deputy governor Pierre Duguay repeated a pledge to hold the central bank's key policy rate at a record low 0.25 per cent through June, saying there is lots of slack in the economy. He made the comments in slides for a presentation he was to give in Quebec City, which were posted on the bank's website. Governor Mark Carney kept the key lending rate unchanged last month and said only a shift in the inflation outlook would lead him to an earlier rate increase. Duguay reiterated the bank's forecast for economic growth of 2.9 per cent this year and 3.5 per cent in 2011.