Finance Minister Flaherty is talking like a minister who owns his portfolio. He says he intends to be the Minister of Finance now and later, even as expectation grows that the Prime Minister will shuffle the cabinet this summer. Flaherty has reason to brag as figures show Canada’s economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.5 per cent in the first quarter, the fastest in more than a year. That was better than already optimistic private-sector estimates and the fastest in six quarters, according to Statistics Canada. Flaherty has also sent a scorching letter to Ontario finance Minister Charles Sousa telling him to forget about adding a percentage point to the provincial portion of the HST. That would take the total to 14 percent, something Flahrety is dead set against. Christina Blizzard.
