Language of the crisis
A review of what global leaders and monetary officials said illustrates the depth of the crisis and the fragility of the financial system at the height of the recession
GERARD CERLES
France’s Finance Minister Christine LagardeKAMARUL AKHIR
"The truth is, I've never seen such uncertainty in terms of looking forward to the future." Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Dec. 15, 2008, to CTV NewsSean Kilpatrick
Chinese Premier Wen JiabaoLIU JIN
“These are momentous steps, but they are being taken to address a problem of historic dimensions.” Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Oct. 7, 2008, to annual meeting of the National Association for Business EconomicsMANDEL NGAN
THOMAS PETER
"We are living in extraordinary times. We also know that panicking and making the wrong choices would be devastating for the Canadian economy and that responding to this type of global economic turbulence requires steadiness and stability and consultation. This is not a sprint." Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Dec. 12, 2008, to business audience in Saint JohnCHRIS WATTIE