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Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz said his “controversial” decision to cut interest rates in January could be compared to life-saving surgery for the economy and any resulting increase in household debt should be viewed as a necessary side effect.

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Canada’s economic performance in April, set to be released by Statistics Canada on Tuesday, will be one of the most watched data points this year.

The Bank of Canada is hoping after a dismal first quarter, the data will show that the economy rebounded in April. So far, the indicators paint a confusing picture. Manufacturing and retail sales were unexpectedly weak during the month, while wholesale data showed sales rose a better-than-expected 1.9 per cent.

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The main job of the central bank’s monetary policy is to focus on the 2 per cent inflation target, Poloz said Sunday during a panel talk at the Basel-based Bank for International Settlements, which posted video of his comments Monday. The Bank of Canada cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 0.75 per cent amid a plunge in global prices for crude oil, the nation’s largest export.