Prime Minister Mark Carney refused to directly answer repeated questions about Canada's recession during Question Period Wednesday, instead exchanging birthday jokes with Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre as Conservatives highlighted stories of unemployed Canadians struggling to find work.Blacklock's Reporter says in his first appearance in the House of Commons since Statistics Canada confirmed the economy had entered a recession, Carney repeatedly sidestepped questions about the downturn while Poilievre pressed him over job losses and economic hardship.“Will the Prime Minister tell us whether we are in a recession?” Poilievre asked.“First, may I wish the Leader of the Opposition a very happy birthday,” Carney replied, referring to Poilievre's 47th birthday.When Poilievre repeated the question, Carney again declined to address the state of the economy.“It is very painful on someone’s birthday when you give them a present and they give it back,” he said.The Conservative leader then read accounts from Canadians who have lost their jobs, including a Toronto secretary who, he said, has been unable to find employment and is now sleeping on a friend's couch.“What is the Prime Minister going to tell her, if he cares enough to stand up and answer?” Poilievre asked.Carney again responded by wishing Poilievre a happy birthday.“I hope his day improves,” he said.Poilievre accused the prime minister of making light of serious economic difficulties facing Canadians.“This is not a joke,” he said. “This is a woman’s life. This Prime Minister gave us the only recession in the G20 and he stands up and starts joking about her state of affairs.”“Will the Prime Minister stop being so flippant about the suffering he has caused?” Poilievre later asked.Carney did not respond..The exchange marked Carney's first appearance in Question Period since Statistics Canada released first-quarter economic figures showing Canada's economy has contracted since October, ending five consecutive years of growth.Later, speaking with reporters, Carney attributed the recession in part to slowing immigration growth.“It’s a basic fact,” he said.“It’s one of several factors, but the underlying point is we’re putting in place the foundations for a stronger, more resilient, more independent Canadian economy,” said Carney.“It’s going to take time, but you can do the math. You should do the math in terms of declining population growth as an impact.”Concerns about a recession were not unexpected within government circles.An October 6 Privy Council Office report based on federal focus groups found Canadians were already anticipating an economic downturn months before the latest GDP figures were released.“A number were of the impression there had been limited growth in terms of the country’s gross domestic product per capita in recent years,” said the report, Continuous Qualitative Data Collection Of Canadians’ Views.“Discussing whether they believed the Canadian economy was growing or heading towards a recession, all believed a recession was likely to occur in the near future.”
