Reuters: Canada's Harper: inflation not the major concern

[tuvor]

By David Ljunggren

TOYAKO, Japan, July 9 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday played down the country's rising inflation rate, saying it was not the major concern for his government.

Soaring gasoline prices pushed up the overall annual inflation rate to 2.2 percent in May, up from 1.7 percent in April. Canadian consumer prices jumped 1.0 percent in May, the single largest monthly rise since January 1991.

"I'm not sure we'd say inflation is the major concern. It certainly is a growing concern worldwide. As you know, Canada has been relatively immune from inflation," Harper told reporters at a Group of Eight summit in northern Japan.

...

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSTKN00295220080709

[Caradoc]

1. Take notice....

....that Harper has not recommended a single, solitary measure to deal with the cost of fuel or carbon emissions. It's an issue that he can't deal with in any meaningful way because all of his closest cronies are Alberta dirty-oil patch types. Since fuel prices are the drivers of inflation right now, of course he's 'not concerned'...that would mean having a 'come to Jesus' discussion with Alberta, and that ain't gonna happen.
At least Liberal leader Dion's 'Green Shift' has the guts to come out and say to Alberta and Saskatchewan 'hey, you're gonna take a hit on this'.