他于秘鲁召开的峰会上说,加拿大大于年底或明年初将进入技术性经济衰退.渥太华可能采取史无前例的刺激经济发展的策略.

LIMA, Peru — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada faces the prospect of a “technical recession” and Ottawa might need to take unprecedented actions to stimulate the faltering economy.

“The most recent private sector forecasts suggest the strong possibility of a technical recession the end of this year, the beginning of next,” Mr. Harper said Sunday at the close of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Peru.

“Yes, I am surprised at this. I’m also further surprised, more importantly, by deflationary pressure that we’re seeing around the world. This is a worrying development, one of the reasons why it may well be necessary to take unprecedented fiscal stimulus.”

Mr. Harper wouldn’t elaborate on what measures the Conservative government might undertake to stimulate the economy. But he said he would need to be convinced that any infusion of government money into Canada’s economy would be effective, and that the action wouldn’t lead to a prolonged deficit.
Chile’s President Michele Bachelet chats with Prime Minister Stephen Harper as they take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit retreat II in Lima on Sunday. Asia-Pacific leaders and the OECD, a forum of the rich nations, have sought to ease extremely tight trade credit for export-driven regional economies amid financial turmoil.

The Globe and Mail

Mr. Harper made the remark at the end of the APEC forum in response to a question about comments made earlier in the day by his finance minister, Jim Flaherty. Mr. Flaherty told CTV’s Question Period that the Canadian economy could be on the verge of slipping into a “technical recession.”

Economists define recession as two consecutive quarters in which the economy shrinks instead of grows. Under this definition, an economy could be technically in recession even though the shrinkage is relatively small.

Mr. Harper said the federal government is not planning a deficit, but there are times when the public should be educated to take a “somewhat less simplistic view” about government fiscal shortfalls.

He said governments may have to run a deficit to stimulate the economy when economies worldwide are faltering, and the threat of deflation is looming.

“We are talking here about the development of economic conditions around the world and in the industrialized world that we have not seen in over 70 years,” Mr. Harper said.

“We have not seen this kind of quick slowing of economic growth with widespread deflationary pressures. This has not been seen in any time in the post-war period.”

Last week, Parliament’s budgetary officer predicted the government will record the first federal deficit in 17 years with a $3.9-billion shortfall next year.

Several economists have predicted Ottawa’s deficit could rise to $10-billion in the 2009-10 fiscal year, which begins in April, with only a slight improvement for the 2010-11 financial year.

Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney also recently conceded that Canada could soon fall into a recession.

Following the Harper government’s throne speech last week, Mr. Flaherty said he would not take extraordinary measures — and would not raise taxes — to avoid sliding into deficit.

However, Mr. Harper defended short-term deficits as a means to get the government through an economic rough patch. “Deficits are generally bad, but there are occasions in which deficits are not necessarily bad, but in fact they are essential,” he said.

In contrast to Mr. Harper’s gloomy outlook, the APEC summit of 21 Pacific Rim countries concluded Sunday with a declaration that the global financial crisis can be overcome in 18 months — by mid-2010.

“We are convinced that we can overcome this crisis in a period of 18 months,” reads a line added to the joint statement released earlier in the weekend. No explanation was given for the change, and the optimistic prediction prompted skepticism from some summit participants and economists.

Mr. Harper said the line came at the behest of Peruvian President Alan Garcia, chair of this year’s summit.

Asked what he thought about the prediction, Mr. Harper replied: “We’re obviously entering … a period of severe slowdown in economic growth with deflationary pressures, particularly in the industrialized world. And I think it would be premature to speculate on that kind of a timeline.”

The APEC leaders also changed their statement to say they would send their ministers to Geneva next month to jump-start the so-called Doha round of World Trade Organization talks.

Concern over the global financial crisis injected new urgency into the free-trade negotiations, which began seven years ago but have been stalled by disputes between developed and developing countries.

The leaders committed to reduce the gap between emerging and developed economies.

APEC leaders, who collectively represent more than half the world’s economy, also pledged in their declaration to “take all necessary economic and financial measures to resolve this crisis, taking the necessary actions to offer hope to those most in need.”

The leaders vowed this weekend to ensure that small- and medium-sized companies have enough credit to keep trade and investment flowing in the region.

Earlier this weekend, the Pacific Rim countries endorsed a broad action plan adopted earlier this month in Washington by the Group of 20, which was aimed at combatting the global economic meltdown that threatens to plunge the world into a deep recession.

The Pacific Rim nations pledged to invoke a 12-month moratorium on new trade barriers in an effort to stabilize the staggering global economy.