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Odds are rising Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz may play a key role in the country’s closely fought election campaign with its economy in turmoil.

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Comment: Have no illusions, while most market observers are quick to blame the sell-off on China, this market was given life by the Fed, and the Fed is the only force that will keep it alive





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The probability assigned by traders that Canada’s central bank will cut interest rates at its meeting next month more than doubled in the three weeks since the election was called. The increased need for stimulus before the Oct. 19 vote follows a slowdown in China’s economy, which has roiled world financial markets and sent prices for the commodities that make up the largest part of Canada’s exports to a 16-year low.

In the midst of the crisis, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who’s campaigning for re-election on his economic record and a balanced budget, took the unusual step this week of saying he’d spoken to Poloz about what it all means for Canada.