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1. New report paints gloomy picture of Alberta’s fiscal future—absent policy change

   According to the PBO, Alberta must reduce spending by 3.1 per cent of GDP to restore fiscal sustainability. ...

2. Kenney government tables another bad news budget—but don’t just blame COVID

   Alberta's new budget projects a $18.2 billion deficit in 2021/22. ...

3. Kenney government must learn from Alberta’s fiscal freefall

   Both B.C. and Saskatchewan now carry less per-person provincial government debt than Alberta. ...

4. Alberta’s debt-to-GDP ratio set to climb—quickly

   Alberta’s economy now faces its third recession in a little more than a decade. Steep economic contractions in 2009 and 2015/16 have caused tremendous economic pain in the province. Now, with cratered oil prices and COVID-19, Alberta is ...

5. Alberta’s bleak economic outlook will hasten the decline of provincial finances

   Appeared in the Calgary Sun, April 22, 2020 Due to COVID-19, with many Albertans sheltering in place to avoid spreading the disease, the province’s economy is obviously taking a huge hit. And we also face a global oil glut, which made historic headlines ...

6. What’s Changed, By How Much, and What Remains to be Done: An Analysis of Alberta’s Budget

   Since 2008/09, Alberta has run a nearly uninterrupted string of budget deficits. This bulletin analyzes the recently tabled 2019 Alberta budget to assess the extent to which it represents a change of course from the policy approach that has ...

7. Alberta ready for another ride on the Resource Revenue Roller-coaster

   Appeared in Maclean's, December 4, 2019 Alberta’s government finances are in shambles. Last year, the province ran a $6.7 billion operating deficit. Even this deficit number, however, understates Alberta’s fiscal woes because last year the government ...

8. Balance Alberta’s budget sooner—limit growth of debt interest costs

   The Government of Alberta has run nearly uninterrupted deficits since 2008/09, through good economic times and bad. These deficits have taken a serious toll on Alberta’s once strong public finances. Before this string of deficits, the ...

9. Alberta’s smaller than anticipated deficit shouldn’t lead to complacency

   Appeared in the Calgary Sun, July 10, 2019 Alberta’s yearend financial report was released at the end of June, and painted a slightly less dim view of provincial finances than previously forecasted. The provincial deficit clocked-in at $6.7 billion, ...

10. Is equalization to blame for Alberta’s rapid debt accumulation?

    The last decade or so has been hard on Alberta’s public finances. The province went from a $35 billion net asset position in 2007/08 to a $20 billion net debt position in 2017/18. During that period the province balanced the budget in ...