Harper says optimistic about turnaround in Canadian economy

LAVAL, Quebec (Reuters) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Monday he was confident the Canadian economy would emerge from its slowdown, provided the government stayed the course. "We remain optimistic about the turnaround that everybody's predicting," Harper said at a news conference on the second day of his reelection campaign, adding that even now, some sectors continued to grow despite challenging external factors. During his campaign stop, he announced the government would expand the income tax deductions available for apprenticeships. (Reporting by Allison Lampert; Writing by Randall Palmer; Editing by Bernadette Baum)