OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper was accused yesterday of exacerbating the economic downturn by spreading pessimism when he should be taking a leadership role by disbursing hope.
Mr. Harper, who said in a television interview on Monday that he has never seen such uncertainty about the future, came under fire for giving in to fear at a time when Canadians need their Prime Minister to offer a more positive outlook - both to relieve anxiety and to keep consumers spending.
"I think human behaviour drives recessions and recoveries, and confidence in the future drives human behaviour," said Liberal MP John McCallum, a former chief economist for the Royal Bank of Canada.
"Especially during difficult times, leaders have to inject confidence and hope into their citizens and Stephen Harper has done precisely the opposite with these comments."
Mr. Harper told CTV on Monday that he had "never seen such uncertainty" about the future and that he was personally "very worried" about the Canadian economy. He wouldn't rule out a depression, saying it "could be" possible, although he quickly added he believed the world had learned enough from the 1930s to avoid another one.
