Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says we’ve got the housing market under control and he’s not worried about a collapse. The reason, he says, is that he has helped cool the market with a round of stricter mortgage rules. The finance minister says he is also encouraged that taxpayers are paying down their mortgages and credit cards, and taking on less debt. A soft landing in housing is better than a boom followed by a bust. Overall, the country’s economy advanced slightly by 0.6 per cent, about half the expected growth predicted by the Bank of Canada.
