Harper prepares for address at economic forum
Posted Jan 26, 2012 7:28 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be giving a stern lecture to Europe Thursday as he delivers the keynote address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
He is joined by several cabinet ministers at the meeting, as well as Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney.
A question period will follow his address.
The key message from the speech is going to be quite simple: “Europe, get your fiscal house in order because you’re hurting the rest of us.”
But it’s believed that will fall on deaf ears because European leaders have heard it before and nothing has changed.
University of Calgary economist Dr. Frank Atkins believes Harper will have greater success trying to sell Canada to new trading partners.
“We’re going to stand up and say, look our economy is in really good shape, we believe in capitalism, we want to trade, we’re open for business, so who is coming along?” says Atkins.
Harper will also be trying to boost our chances of signing a trade deal with the European Union.
And, after the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline deal, Harper will promote Canada’s energy industry to China and other Asian countries.
