Deficits & Debt

Spending Growth Is the Cause of BC’s Coming Debt Boom

— Aug 10, 2023

Spending Growth is the Cause of BC’s Coming Debt Boom is a new study that finds from 2000-2017 per person program spending in BC increased by 8.4 per cent (adjusted for inflation), but more recently, and in a much shorter time period from 2017 to 2022—even excluding COVID spending—per person spending increased by 25.9 per cent.

No Sign of Significant Debt Reduction or Tax Relief in Ford’s Spring 2023 Budget – It’s All Spend, Spend, Spend!

— Jul 5, 2023

No Sign of Significant Debt Reduction or Tax Relief in Ford’s Spring 2023 Budget—It’s All Spend, Spend, Spend! is a new study that details what the current Ontario government could have achieved in terms of lower taxes, surpluses and debt relief if it had maintained the spending levels of the previous Wynne government. Instead, the current government has increased spending by $9.5 billion above the average (inflation adjusted) annual spending of its predecessor, and is forecasting a $1.3 billion deficit this year.

How Provincial Governments Respond to Fiscal Shocks and Federal Transfers

— May 2, 2023

How Provincial Governments Respond to Fiscal Shocks and Federal Transfers is a new study that finds despite misperceptions that government deficits have no cost, higher deficit-financed spending by provincial governments over the past 50 years has, in fact, led to higher taxes and higher debt-servicing costs for taxpayers.

Stress Testing the Federal Fiscal Anchor

— Mar 16, 2023

Stress Testing the Federal Fiscal Anchor finds that that there is a 30 per cent chance that the federal debt to GDP ratio will increase over a 10-year time period, meaning the federal government would fail to achieve its core fiscal goal.

Prime Ministers and Government Spending: 2023 Edition

— Mar 9, 2023

Prime Ministers and Government Spending:2023 Edition is a new study that finds federal spending reached $19,208 per-person in 2020-21, which represents the single highest level in the country’s history, with the current federal government is on track to record the five highest levels of per-person spending (2018 to 2022) in Canadian history.

Federal and Provincial Debt-Interest Costs for Canadians, 2023 edition

— Feb 2, 2023

Federal and Provincial Debt Interest Costs for Canadians, 2023 edition is a new study that finds Canadians in every province will pay more than $1,300 per person in 2022/23 on government interest costs, totalling $68.6 billion on interest payments for the federal and provincial debts.