G8 Summit: Stephen Harper Says Free Trade an Alternative to Austerity, Cutbacks
(Lee-Anne Goodman – The Canadian Press)
Leaders of the Group of Eight countries focused their attention on the European fiscal crisis on Saturday, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper arguing there are ways to resurrect teetering economies that involve neither devastating austerity measures nor massive stimulus spending.
“It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation; trade, for example, is a way to cultivate growth,” a senior Canadian government official said at the G8 summit, being held for the first time at this lush, leafy presidential retreat tucked away in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains.
“Free trade deals create jobs and stimulate growth and don’t involve government spending a lot of money.” Read more here.
Related:
Harper to Eurozone: Stimulus Alone Won’t Save You (Toronto Sun)
Obama Touts ‘Emerging Consensus’ on Reviving Europe’s Economy (Globe & Mail)
Date: May 21, 2012
