Search

This morning we released our seventh Monetary Policy Report. Since the release of our last Report in November, there have been an unusual number of international and domestic developments which have had important economic and financial consequences. Among the most important events have been the crisis in Asia, declines in commodities prices, and the persistent […]

Bank of Canada Governor Gordon Thiessen today commented on the release of the semi-annual Monetary Policy Report, which discusses current economic trends and their implications for monetary policy.

The consumer price index (CPI) is used to measure changes in the price level of consumer goods and services. As an indicator of changes in the cost of living, it is susceptible to various types of measurement biases. This article provides estimates of the size of these biases in the Canadian CPI. It concludes that the rate of increase in the CPI probably overstates the rate of increase in the cost of living by about 0.5 percentage points per year.

In this article, the authors identify forward rate agreements, or FRAs, as short-term interest rate guarantee instruments negotiated by two parties, one of which is typically a bank. In outlining the main features of FRAs, the authors contrast them with BAX contracts (futures contracts on bankers' acceptances that are negotiated through the Montreal Exchange). The article then describes how market participants use FRAs to cover short-term interest rate risk. The final section deals with the way the Bank of Canada uses information from the FRA market as an indicator of interest rate expectations. Econometric models used to retrieve information from FRA rates, as well as the underlying assumptions, are discussed in an appendix.

Proceedings of a conference held by the Bank of Canada, May 1998 (proceedings volume, available in electronic format only)

My colleagues and I look forward to our yearly appearance before your committee because it gives us an opportunity to present an account of how the Bank has worked to fulfil its objectives over the past year. It is also an opportunity for a discussion with you on a range of economic and monetary issues. […]

A second discussion paper outlining proposed changes in the rules for, and the surveillance of, auctions of Government of Canada securities was released for public comment today by the Bank of Canada.

Professor David Laidler of the University of Western Ontario has been chosen to fill the newly-created visiting economist position of Special Adviser in the Bank of Canada for a one-year term beginning in August 1998.

It can take anywhere from one to two years for monetary actions to have their full effect on the economy. Because of this, the conduct of monetary policy must be based on a view of what the economy will be like - not tomorrow, not in a month - but rather in one to two years' time.

The Bank of Canada today released a joint statement of the Government of Canada and the Bank of Canada on the extension of the inflation-control targets.