Fraser Forum

Government Spending & Taxes

5:30AM
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Contrasting the Budget Rules of Chrétien and Trudeau: Part 1

Whereas the Chrétien government used balanced budgets as a guiding fiscal anchor, the Trudeau government has not had an effective fiscal rule imposing discipline on its spending, taxing, and borrowing decisions, resulting in the federal government being less prepared to respond to the current recession.


12:31PM
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History of government difficulty in writing cheques to Canadians

The auditor general noted there were 3.8 million more social insurance numbers for Canadians 20 years and older than actual people in that age group.


10:12AM
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It’s easier for governments to increase spending than bring it back down

Governments can find themselves at a new baseline spending level far in excess of revenues.


1:31PM
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Higher interest rates associated with government borrowing act like an implicit tax

Default risk and exchange-rate risk increase for foreign lenders as they increase their holdings of any government’s debt.


9:36AM
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Ontario’s mini-budget shows provincial deficit will increase

Provincial government debt-service costs are set to reach $13.2 billion this year.


6:36PM
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Trudeau government plan would have undermined Opposition ability to hold government to account

The principle of no taxation without representation is central to the concept of democracy.


10:19AM
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If history is any guide, COVID-19 will transform Canada in heretofore unknown ways
When the First World War began, there was no expectation that it would spawn an entirely new tax system.

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