Former Bank of Canada governor slams Poilievre's assertion central bank is 'financially illiterate'

Former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge is strongly disputing Conservative Party MP and leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre's claim the central bank is 'financially illiterate.'

In an interview on CTV’s Question Period airing Sunday, Dodge, who was governor from 2001 to 2008, called the assertion “bull****."

“I’m very insulted by that…They understand what's going on,” he said, adding that the Bank of Canada’s navigation of the last two years has effectively kept Canada out of a “real depression” coming out of the pandemic.

Poilievre’s criticism of Canada’s central bank is a key pillar of his leadership campaign. He’s questioned its independence, has vowed to have it audited, and will bar it from using its own digital currency.

On April 22, he tweeted that the “Bank of Canada says #Bitcoin-ers lack financial literacy. This from the same people who promised we’d have “deflation” right before inflation hit a 30 year high. It is our central bank that is financially illiterate. Restore sound money.”