Deficits & Debt

— Sep 17, 2024
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Understanding the Scale of Canada’s Federal Deficit

Understanding the Scale of Canada’s Federal Deficit finds that continuous annual borrowing by Ottawa to finance increased spending has driven federal total debt up to an expected 69.8 per cent of the economy or $2.1 trillion in 2024/25—and analyzes how in debt Canadian families would be if they spent and borrowed the same way.

— Sep 10, 2024
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British Columbia’s Descent into Debt

British Columbia’s Descent into Debt finds that the B.C. provincial government continues with its current fiscal plans, it will become the third-most indebted province in the country by 2029/30.

— Aug 15, 2024
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Caution Required When Comparing Canada's Debt to that of Other Countries 2024

Caution Required When Comparing Canada’s Debt to that of Other Countries, 2024 Edition finds that Canada’s relative debt position, instead of being the best of the G7, falls significantly when total debt is measured instead of measuring debt after adjusting for financial assets.

— May 31, 2024
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ow Have Canadian Federal Governments Responded to Budget Deficits?

How Have Canadian Federal Governments Responded to Budget Deficits? is a new study that measures how Canadian federal governments have responded to budget deficits over the last 150 years. It finds that a delay in balancing the budget will require deeper spending cuts and higher tax hikes in the future than if the government balanced the budget now. Put simply, it is better if the federal government embarks on fiscal adjustment early on, rather than postponing deficit elimination.

— Feb 1, 2024
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Adrift without an Anchor

Adrift without an Anchor: Federal Fiscal Policy and Canada’s Long-Term Debt Ratio finds that that there is a 44 per cent chance that the federal debt to GDP ratio will increase by 2036-37, and a 59 per cent chance it will increase by 2046-47—meaning the federal government would fail to stick to its core fiscal goal.

— Jan 30, 2024
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Alberta’s Underlying Budget Deficit finds that if not for historically high resource revenue, the Alberta government would run a large budget deficit this year and the next two years.