Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Canada PM "Genuinely Encouraged" by Spain Bank Bailout

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Monday he is "genuinely encouraged" by the European Union's agreement to bail out Spain's banking system.

"I am genuinely encouraged by the agreement concluded this past weekend among members of the euro zone to stabilize the Spanish banking system, Mr. Harper said in a speech at an economic conference in Montreal. "These are the kinds of measures that the Europeans themselves are able to undertake, and that they must undertake, to move their economy forward."

He said his message at next week's Summit of G-20 industrialized and developing economies will be that growth and fiscal discipline aren't mutually exclusive. "They go hand in hand," Mr. Harper said.

G-20 leaders gather in Los Cabos, Mexico for their summit June 18-19.

Mr. Harper said Canada's record of strong fiscal discipline is one reason why his country weathered the financial crisis much better than other nations.

"The Canadian approach is what the world needs. A practical approach, an approach that works, an approach that includes both fiscal discipline and other growth measures," he said.

Mr. Harper said trade liberalization is an effective and inexpensive way to create growth and jobs, though he acknowledged that it isn't always politically easy.

The Canadian government is also taking steps to deal with the problems posed by an aging population and reform its labor market, including changes to Canada's immigration system to attract skilled workers.

Mr. Harper said his government's move to reform regulations on environmental assessments minimizes burdens and maximizes certainty for investors while "thoroughly examining and evaluating environmental risks."

Write to Nirmala Menon at nirmala.menon@dowjones.com

Copyright ? 2012 Dow Jones Newswires

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