So, is the recession over or not? If you’re asking the Conservative government that question then don’t expect a straight answer. A few days after Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney declared the recession over, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said that wasn’t the case. “I think the direction’s important. There are good signs that the economy has stabilized, and there are the beginnings of a recovery. And I wouldn’t put it any stronger than that,” he told reporters yesterday.
You could have just chalked this up to downplaying, which is smart considering much trouble Stephen Harper has previously gotten into for being optimistic on the economy. But then International Trade Minister Stockwell Day wrotein the Penticton Western News, Im not kidding. The recession is over.
Clearly, the Conservatives need to get on message, but this also points to just how confusing things are right now. As I wrote in an earlier post, while the recession may technically be over, to declare it dead really depends on how you look at it. Expect plenty more contradictory messages from all sides of our government, at least until people stop losing their jobs. (If you missed it more people were receiving EI benefitsin May then at any point in the last 12 years.)
Blogs & Comment
Conservatives send mixed signals on recovery
By Bryan Borzykowski
So, is the recession over or not? If you’re asking the Conservative government that question then don’t expect a straight answer. A few days after Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney declared the recession over, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said that wasn’t the case. “I think the direction’s important. There are good signs that the economy has stabilized, and there are the beginnings of a recovery. And I wouldn’t put it any stronger than that,” he told reporters yesterday.
You could have just chalked this up to downplaying, which is smart considering much trouble Stephen Harper has previously gotten into for being optimistic on the economy. But then International Trade Minister Stockwell Day wrotein the Penticton Western News, Im not kidding. The recession is over.
Clearly, the Conservatives need to get on message, but this also points to just how confusing things are right now. As I wrote in an earlier post, while the recession may technically be over, to declare it dead really depends on how you look at it. Expect plenty more contradictory messages from all sides of our government, at least until people stop losing their jobs. (If you missed it more people were receiving EI benefitsin May then at any point in the last 12 years.)