'Economy must remain our number one priority,' Harper

Prime Minister Stephen Harper (file photo) today issued the following statement at the conclusion of G20 Summit in Pittsburgh.

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“Canada came to this Summit with a clear message: the economy must remain our number one priority. Our objectives here were to encourage the full implementation of domestic stimulus measures, to insist on the completion of measures to fix the financial system and to urge all nations to resist the temptation of protectionism.

“We are pleased to see Canada’s voice and contribution reflected in the Leaders’ Declaration. We also reached several other agreements, including the launching of a Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth, which will help us coordinate G20 policies moving forward. We also agreed we must strengthen regulatory systems for banks and other financial firms. To that end, Canada has been playing a leadership role as chair of the Financial Stability Board, a newly created group responsible for coordinating and monitoring progress on international financial regulation reform.

“While we are seeing signs of recovery, the gains are at best fragile. We must stay on course; now is not the time for complacency. And of course we are looking forward to welcoming world leaders to Canada next year at our G8 and G20 Summits.”

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