The Bank of Canada should hold the policy rate at its current near-zero level until the end of June 2010, as it has committed, and probably beyond. Given the time required to roll out fiscal stimulus and the nascent recovery, additional expansionary measures, including extending the window of eligibility for extraordinary unemployment benefits, should be resisted. Instead, governments should be preparing detailed and credible medium-term fiscal consolidation plans to be announced soon and be implemented when the recovery is firmly underway.

©OECD Observer 2010