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1. Notley misdiagnoses Alberta’s fiscal problems and offers no workable solutions

   A clear takeaway from Alberta Premier Rachel Notley’s recent state of the province address is that virtually all of Alberta’s fiscal woes can be blamed on depressed oil prices. The reality is different. While there’s no doubt that the ...

2. Fiscal update shows Alberta’s financial position deteriorating more rapidly than expected

   Alberta’s first-quarter fiscal update now expects that the provincial government’s operating deficit this year will be $10.9 billion, up from the previous $10.4 billion estimate from the budget in April. This will negatively affect the ...

3. Alberta’s first-quarter fiscal update reveals worsening fiscal picture

   Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci (pictured above) unveiled the province’s first-quarter fiscal update today. Unfortunately, the province’s budgetary situation looks even worse than it did when the government released its budget in April ...

4. Alberta’s carbon tax will lead to loss of jobs, income, exports, revenues, etc.

   The Alberta media is abuzz with the findings of an internal NDP analysis of its first-concept carbon tax. Chris Varcoe, at the Calgary Herald dropped some of the bombshell findings on June 17. To be fair, the carbon tax was not ...

5. Book targets policies and policymakers amid Alberta’s malaise

   In recent years, Albertan politicos have graced constituents with claims that the province was debt free. They actually meant the provincial government had sufficient financial assets on hand to offset the debts, but with the fiscal ...

6. Chronic spending-driven deficits eroding Alberta’s financial position

   Not so long ago, the Government of Alberta’s financial position was strong. In 2007/08 the province had net financial assets (the difference between financial assets and liabilities) amounting to $35 billion. In other words, the ...

7. Alberta’s budget does not strike at root of province’s fiscal problems

   There’s no question that Premier Rachel Notley and her government were dealt a tough hand upon taking office when it comes to the state of provincial finances. Rapid spending increases by successive Progressive Conservative governments ...

8. Troubled Waters—Alberta’s self-inflicted wounds

   Over the past year or so, Alberta’s economy has been hit hard by external factors beyond the control of the provincial government. Of greatest importance, of course, has been the fall in commodity prices which has led to a recession in ...

9. Alberta’s finances deteriorating quicker than expected

   Premier Rachel Notley’s government yesterday released Alberta’s latest economic and fiscal update, pointing to even more red ink on the province’s operating budget than was projected in the October budget. Alberta’s projected operating ...

10. Worried about Alberta’s budget? Stop counting on high resource prices

    Appeared in the Calgary Herald Forty-one billion dollars. That’s the extra amount, over and above what was needed to keep pace with population growth and inflation between 2006 and 2013, this to fund Alberta government program spending in those years. So ...