Harper Denies The Economy is Heading For Trouble and is Shifting His Share of the Blame.

Stephen Harper tells Canadians not to worry we may only be in a “technical recession” and then he resurrects the ghost of Trudeau economics consistent with his usual hiding the facts and resorting to rhetoric.

Nobody is talking about a Trudeau-esque economic model for the 21st century – except of course old-school thinking Steve Harper. He promotes fear and angst and his political tactics promote his penchant for living in the past.

Only a conniving economist could politically parse data to declare there is a “technical recession” and that it really does not mean anything. Why? According to our economist Prime Minister “Even if it is true, I don’t think it is a real recession. There are job losses, but overall employment is pretty stable.” Boy that is a reassuring confidence building bit of analysis that should warm the hearts of Canadians who know we are living on an economic knife-edge.

Here are some Statistics Canada “real recession facts” conveniently ignored by our so-call economist Prime Minister ignores as he misdirects our attention about a “real recession.”

1 Canada ran a deficit in the first Quarter this year. This is because the economy is slowing. The Harper tax cuts at the top end and tax hike at the bottom end have reduced revenues so Harper can justify axing more programs and public sector jobs. Thatcher and Reagan economics are the threat facing Canadians under a Harper government.

2 Canada’ second Quarter wasn’t much better with a GDP “growth” of 0.1% and foreign markets for our goods and services declines for the FOURTH CONSECUTIVE QUARTER (emphasis added).

3 The United States economy is tanking and Canada is faring much better – or so we are being told by the Harper government. Not true according to Stats Canada Quarter report released today. The real numbers based on the Second Quarter results shows the Canadian economy growing 0.3% per year while the Americans are on track for a sound 3.3% annual growth rate.

Harper once again chooses “truthiness” and misdirection to elude dealing with the economic facts. Instead of alluding to the truth about the economic facts and their consequences he denies we are getting in trouble and consistently shifts any share of the blame away from himself and his “government.”

Denial, Deceit and Diversion are his core political values. He must not win the next election whenever it happens.