Government Spending

Education Spending in Public Schools in Canada: 2019 Edition

— Jan 31, 2019

Education Spending and Public School Enrolment in Canada, 2019 finds that spending on public schools across Canada increased in every province over the past decade by an average of 17.3 per cent, on a per-student basis, after adjusting for inflation. Nominally, spending increased from about $49 billion in 2006/07 to nearly $65 billion in 2015/16, the most recent year of available Statistics Canada data. Teacher and staff compensation (salaries, pensions and benefits) accounted for 84 per cent of that increased spending, rising from $35 billion to more than $48 billion over the same 10-year period.

Watch Video – Is Public School Spending Down in Canada?

Prime Ministers and Government Spending: 2019 Edition

— Jan 22, 2019

Prime Ministers and Government Spending, 2019 tracks annual per person program spending (adjusted for inflation) by prime ministers since Confederation, and finds that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has now recorded two of the three years with the highest levels of government spending in Canadian history, including times of war and recession. The all-time high was recorded by Prime Minister Stephen Harper during the 2009 recession.

Capital Investment in Canada: An International Comparison

— Oct 11, 2018

Capital Investment in Canada: An International Comparison finds that Canada’s anemic growth rate of capital investment—which has slowed to a 40-year low—has lagged behind growth rates in the United States and other developed countries in recent years. Investment growth has been especially weak in Canada’s business sector, particularly in the areas of machinery, equipment and intellectual property.

Capital Investment in Canada: Recent Behaviour and Implications

— Sep 13, 2018

Capital Investment in Canada: Recent Behaviour and Implications finds that the growth rate of overall investments in Canada—particularly in the important areas of equipment, machinery and intellectual property—has slowed to a 40-year low, negatively affecting living standards for workers and overall economic growth.

Subsidized Daycare—What British Columbia Can Learn from Quebec’s 20-Year Experiment

— Mar 22, 2018

Subsidized Daycare—What British Columbia Can Learn from Quebec’s 20-Year Experiment finds that policymakers in B.C. should learn from Quebec’s government-subsidized daycare program, which has proven costly for taxpayers, has not paid for itself and has experienced mixed child development outcomes.

Back on Track: How the Federal Liberals Can Deliver Their Promised Balanced Budget by 2019/20

— Feb 23, 2018

Back on Track: How the Federal Liberals Can Deliver Their Promised Balanced Budget by 2019/20 finds that a modest one per cent reduction in program spending—spread out over two years—would achieve budget balance. Incidentally, since coming into office in 2015, the federal Liberals have increased program spending by 20.1 per cent ($51 billion) in just three years.

1
2
3
4
5
6
next ›
last »

Recent Government Spending Commentaries and Blog Posts

'Austerity' claims in Quebec have little basis in fact

Vincent Geloso

Net public debt represented 46.6 per cent of the economy in 2017.

Government spending burying Ontarians in debt

Ben Eisen

Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, January 30, 2019

Ontario’s “share” of the federal deficit this year will be approximately $7.1 billion.

Compensation of government employees consumes half of all program spending in Ontario

Ben Eisen

For comparable jobs, government-sector wages in Ontario are 10.6 per cent higher (on average) than wages in the private sector.

Federal spending near record levels in Canadian history

Jake Fuss, Milagros Palacios, Jason Clemens

Appeared in the Hamilton Spectator, January 28, 2019

The risks of a recession this year or next are real.

The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister said what?

Jason Clemens, Jake Fuss

Per-person spending last year was only $72 short of the all-time high reached during the 2009 recession.

Ford government must get serious about Ontario's government debt

Ben Eisen

Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, January 9, 2019

Ontario’s government spends more than $1 billion every month on debt interest.

Year-end facts Canadians need to know

Niels Veldhuis, Milagros Palacios

Appeared in the Toronto Sun, January 5, 2019

In reality, 81 per cent of middle-class families now pay higher income taxes.

Government policy in 2019, particularly in Ottawa, will be crucial to resolving export constraints

Steve Lafleur

Alberta has run nearly uninterrupted deficits since 2008/09.

Equalization—separating fact from fiction

Ben Eisen, Jake Fuss

Appeared in the Globe and Mail, December 20, 2018

Alberta ran a $3.1 billion deficit in 2012/13—when oil prices were over US$80 per barrel.

A visit from the ghost of Ontario’s fiscal future

Ben Eisen

Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, December 19, 2019

This year’s budget shortfall is projected to eclipse $14 billion.