Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’s hopeful the Bank of Canada will soon start easing monetary policy after the rate of inflation fell to within the central bank’s target range.

“We’re optimistic that the Bank of Canada will start bringing down interest rates sometime this year — hopefully sooner rather than later. But that’s their decision to make,” Trudeau told reporters Tuesday in Vancouver.

British Columbia Premier David Eby, who was alongside Trudeau at a news conference, blamed the central bank for “driving inflation up by driving up the cost of housing” through mortgage interest costs, which can be passed through as higher rents.

While Trudeau and Eby stopped short of explicitly calling for rate cuts, their comments highlight growing impatience by politicians — who may benefit politically from lower borrowing costs — for action by central bankers. 

Read More: Canada Bonds Surge as Inflation Slows More Than Forecast

Eby was one of several provincial premiers who sent letters to Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem last year urging him to stop tightening monetary policy. 

When Macklem and his officials held rates steady in September, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland called the move “welcome relief” for Canadians. Her comments sparked criticism from some economists who said it risked creating the impression of political interference.

In Canada, the consumer price index and core inflation measures eased in January, reviving expectations that the Bank of Canada might be able to start cutting rates as early as April. The overall rate of inflation was 2.9 per cent last month; the central bank targets 2 per cent inflation, within a control band of 1 per cemt to 3 per cent. 

The bank’s next rate decision is on March 6. Economists widely expect policymakers to hold the overnight rate at 5 per cent for a fifth straight meeting.