Summary

• Per-person inflation-adjusted program spending is a key measure of government fiscal policy. With comparable data going back to 1965, we are able to compare different historical periods and the tenures of various premiers of Prince Edward Island.
• From 1965 to 2021, provincial per-person government spending increased substantially over the 56-year period—from $2,823 (in 2021 inflation-adjusted dollars) to $15,024.
• Premier Alex Campbell increased spending the most of any Prince Edward Island premier since 1965. Campbell’s 8.7 percent average annual change in per person spending is substantially higher than all other premiers during our period of analysis.
• Joe Ghiz is the next-highest spending premier on our measure, with an average annual change in per-person inflation-adjusted spending of 4.8 percent. Dennis King at 4.3 percent (though he was premier during the pandemic) and Pat
• Binns at 2.6 percent make up the rest of the highest spenders. Wade MacLauchlan (1.9 percent), Robert Ghiz (1.9 percent), and James Lee (1.3 percent) sit in the middle of the spending increase pack.
• Angus MacLean (-2.3 percent) and Catherine Callbeck are the only two premiers in our period of analysis who reduced spending on the measure we used. At -8.1 percent, Catherine Callbeck presided over the largest reduction in spending during her tenure.