Tory leader takes aim at Liberals with call for emergency debate on the economy

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is stepping up his attack on Liberal policies with a call for an emergency parliamentary debate on the economy.

Statistics Canada said Friday the economy contracted slightly for the second quarter in a row to start the year — a benchmark that meets some definitions of a technical recession.

Some economists said the recession talk was premature, arguing that while Canada’s economy is soft, the declines are marginal and do not meet the definition of a widespread downturn.

In an open letter to Mark Carney on Sunday, Poilievre says a debate would give the prime minister a chance to tell Canadians about his plan to improve things.