Government Spending

Educational Attainment, Migration, and Provincial Spending on Universities in Canada

— Jan 3, 2024

Educational Attainment, Migration, and Provincial Spending on Universities in Canada is a new study that finds higher university subsidies do not necessarily result in a more educated population, finding that interprovincial migration seems to be a more important factor, as it allows university students educated and paid for in one province to move to another after graduation, effectively transferring the provincial investment with them.

A Review of Electric Vehicle Consumer Subsidies in Canada

— Oct 31, 2023

A Review of Electric Vehicle Consumer Subsidies in Canada finds that government subsidies for electric vehicle purchases are an extremely costly way to try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.

Missed Opportunity: Federal Spending Increases Prevent Real Tax Relief for Canadians

— Sep 14, 2023

Missed Opportunity: Federal Spending Increases Prevent Real Tax Relief for Canadians is a new study that finds had the federal government self-imposed some meaningful spending restraint since 2015/16, it could have provided $18.7 billion of tax relief to Canadians while running a surplus of $4.6 billion this year (2023/24).

Education Spending in Public Schools in Canada, 2023 Edition

— Aug 29, 2023

Education Spending in Public Schools in Canada, 2023 Edition is a new study that finds annual spending in public schools in Canada increased by $7.8 billion more than was necessary to account for changes in enrolment and inflation between 2012/13 and 2020/21.

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.

New Brunswick’s Divergent Finances: A Possible Opportunity for Tax Reduction

— Aug 10, 2023

New Brunswick’s Divergent Finances: A Possible Opportunity for Tax Reduction finds that as a result of the New Brunswick government’s recent spending restraint, the province is now positioned to introduce meaningful tax relief, which if current government revenue and spending growth continues, could reach over $3,600 per taxpayer by 2032/33 without jeopardizing the province’s balanced budget.

Recent Government Spending Commentaries and Blog Posts

British Columbia’s finances go from bad to worse during Eby’s first full year

Tegan Hill, Grady Munro

Appeared in Business in Vancouver, August 30, 2024

The government increased spending $3.5 billion beyond its original budget plan.

Canada’s federal bureaucracy expanding rapidly at your expense

Matthew Lau

Appeared in the Ottawa Citizen, August 29, 2024

Since 2015, the number of employees at the federal department for Women and Gender Equality increased by 382 per cent.

Alberta government must reform spending to avoid deficits

Tegan Hill

Appeared in the Calgary Sun, August 28, 2024

The government will spend a projected $6,037 more per Albertan over four years than it originally planned.

Ontario education spending up but student performance is down

Michael Zwaagstra

Appeared in the Hamilton Spectator, August 26, 2024

Many of the province's curriculum guides are confusing and lack sufficient content.

Test scores help predict level of ‘knowledge capital’ entering the economy

Derek J. Allison

The production of knowledge capital helps fuel economic growth and prosperity.

More money not the answer for schools—just look at Alberta

Michael Zwaagstra

Appeared in the National Post, August 23, 2024

The province's charter schools incentivize government school boards to diversify their programming options.

Ignore Ottawa’s talking points—Canada is a highly indebted country

Jake Fuss

Appeared in the Hub, August 22, 2024

In 2024, federal debt interest costs are expected to eclipse $54 billion.

Alberta remains largest net contributor to Ottawa’s coffers despite damaging federal policies

Tegan Hill, Spencer Gudewill

Appeared in the Financial Post, August 15, 2024

From 2007 to 2022, Albertans contributed $244.6 billion more to the federal government than they received.

Ontario government is anything but ‘fiscally responsible’

Jake Fuss, Grady Munro

Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, August 14, 2024

This year the government plans to run a $9.8 billion deficit followed by a $4.6 billion deficit next year.

Endless spending increases will not fix Canada’s health-care system

Mackenzie Moir, Jake Fuss

From 1993 to 2023, health-care wait times have increased by 198 per cent.