Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the government's economic action plan has moderated the impact of the global recession in Canada.

Canadians want the government to stay the course on the road to economic recovery but to start planning for deficit reduction, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday.

Addressing the Conservative caucus in Ottawa, Harper said stimulus measures and other government actions have moderated the impact of the global recession in Canada.

"But the international economy remains fragile, and there is still a danger that we could be pulled back once again through no fault of our own," Harper cautioned at the televised meeting.

The top priority remains protecting the economy, and Canadians have been saying — at round tables, town hall meetings and in online consultations — that they want government to stick to the recovery plan, Harper said.

"The economic action plan has been working, and we must see it through," Harper said. "Second, we have been told, start planning now for deficit reduction when the recession ends."

A deficit of more than $56 billion is expected this fiscal year after the stimulus spending.

Turning to Haiti, Harper said the suffering of Haitians has profoundly moved Canadians.

He said Canada has mobilized an unprecedented relief effort. The challenges that Canadian Forces, diplomats and emergency aid workers will face in the coming weeks amount to "nothing less than the rescue of a shattered society."