Canadians should be confident - finance minister

OTTAWA, Sept 9 (Reuters) - The relatively strong performance of their economy means Canadians have every reason to be confident despite global economic uncertainty, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said on Thursday.

"In a global economy that remains uncertain, Canadians have every reason to be confident. Our country has weathered (the slowdown) ... in far better shape than other major industrialized countries," he told a news conference in Kitchener, Ontario.

Flaherty also said Canada would cut its overall budget deficit in half by the 2011-12 fiscal year and by two-thirds by 2012-13. Preliminary numbers showed a 2009-10 deficit of C$47 billion ($45.6 billion) but final figures have yet to be released.

($1=$1.03 Canadian) (Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Peter Galloway)