Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem walks outside the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada June 22, 2020. But Macklem also said "right now, it is not time to start thinking about cutting interest rates." Interest rate futures are pricing the first rate cut in March, earlier than the poll prediction. "Accompanying labour market weakness should put downward pressure on inflation and prompt the Bank of Canada to cut the policy rate around of the spring of 2024," they wrote. That was despite several government measures announced in the latest Fall Economic Statement to boost housing supply and help lenders dealing with homeowners at risk amid high interest rates.

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Persons: Blair Gable, Macklem, It's, Avery Shenfeld, Robert Hogue, Sebastian Mintah, Mumal Rathore, Ross Finley, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Bank of Canada, REUTERS, Reuters, BoC, U.S . Federal, Barclays, CIBC Capital Markets, of Canada, RBC, Desjardins, Moody's, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, BENGALURU, stagnate