Comments from the Bank of Canada leader

  • Recuperation phase to be slow and choppy
  • Sees inflation well below 2% in the near-term
  • Doesn't expect rebound to continue at the same pace
  • QE program to be calibrated to provide needed stimulus
  • Reiterates that QE will continue until the recovery well underway
  • Economy will need extraordinary stimulus

The original sin of the BOC's QE program was framing it as a temporary measure to restore market functioning. The bank spent a decade trying to build trust on openness and transparency but it was a lie at the time and it looks worse now that they've moved the goalposts and said it's about stimulus.

USD/CAD has ticked to a marginal new high at 1.3177 after the headlines but there isn't much here to digest and stock markets are falling so that's the driver.