Finance minister meets with business leaders, economists during summer retreat

Canada’s Minister of Finance Joe Oliver (Facebook)

WAKEFIELD, Quebec — Finance Minister Joe Oliver will hear from business leaders, economists and others as he gathers opinions this week about Canada’s economic challenges.

Oliver is meeting with 16 invited guests at a summer retreat in Wakefield, Que., about an hour outside Ottawa, over the next two days.

The minister will be looking for ideas on how to create jobs, but also wants feedback on the government’s current fiscal plan.

The meeting comes on the heels of a report last week that showed Canada was bleeding full-time jobs last month.

Many economist had predicted up to 20,000 jobs would be created, but there were just 200 overall, with part-time work largely replacing full-time positions.

The annual retreat is billed as an opportunity for the finance minister to gather information in preparation for his fall economic update and the budget in the spring.

It is Oliver’s first such gathering since being appointed to the position earlier this year to replace the late Jim Flaherty.