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1. Next prime minister should cut spending to help the poor

   According to estimates, economic growth is maximized when government spending is about 26 per cent of GDP. ...

2. It’s easier for governments to increase spending than bring it back down

   As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds and governments across the country scramble to respond, public spending is increasing quickly, particularly at the federal level. Much of this spending is entirely reasonable and indeed necessary. ...

3. Prime Ministers and Government Spending: 2019 Edition

   This bulletin measures the level of per-person program spending undertaken annually by prime ministers, adjusting for inflation, since 1870. (The years from 1867 to 1869 were excluded due to a lack of inflation data). Per-person spending spiked ...

4. When measured against history, Prime Minister Trudeau’s spending near peak levels

   The federal government plans to spend $8,337 (per person) this fiscal year. ...

5. Prime Ministers and Government Spending: A Retrospective

   This bulletin measures the level of per-person program spending undertaken annually by each prime minister, adjusting for inflation, since 1870.  1867 to 1869 were excluded due to a lack of inflation data. Per-person spending spiked during World ...

6. Wynne government reopens spending tap, exposes province to more risk

   Appeared in the Financial Post, May 10, 2017 The Wynne government recently tabled Ontario’s first balanced operating budget in a decade. While it’s good to see the province finally bring its annual operating expenditures in line with revenues, there are ...

7. Saskatchewan has a plan to balance its budget, Alberta doesn’t

   Appeared in the Calgary Sun, March 27, 2017 Alberta and Saskatchewan are energy-rich jurisdictions that fell on hard times as commodity prices fell. And both jurisdictions face significant fiscal challenges, with large budget deficits and substantial debt ...

8. Creating an effective ‘guaranteed annual income’ in Canada would be challenging

   Appeared in the Vancouver Province, February 23, 2016 The federal Liberals appear to be considering overhauling Canada’s income support system with the creation of a guaranteed annual income (GAI). Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal minister tasked with the ...

9. Newfoundland & Labrador’s massive debt and deficits demand bold action

   Appeared in National Newswatch, February 15, 2016 On the easternmost part of the country, a fiscal storm is brewing. Newfoundland & Labrador’s provincial finances are in a dire state. The government’s latest projections have the province facing a ...

10. End of the Chretien Consensus in Canada?

    Appeared in the Financial Post, November 24, 2015 Canada enjoyed an economic and fiscal renaissance starting in the mid-1990s that lasted more than a decade. The boom was rooted in sound fiscal policy (balanced budgets, focused spending, and tax ...