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1. Ontario lagging behind neighbours on key economic measures

   Between 2000 and 2019, New York's average per-person GDP growth more than doubled Ontario's growth rate. ...

2. Ford government must dramatically change course to fulfill many promises

   High spending levels increase government debt, which raises the spectre of future higher taxes and creates uncertainty for potential investors. ...

3. Ford government must prepare for post-COVID spending cuts

   Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, May 5, 2020 Recently, RBC Economics published new estimates of this year’s deficits and debt accumulation for all 10 Canadian provinces. The news was predictably grim. According to forecasts, all provinces will run large ...

4. Big deficits or slash-and-burn—the Ford government’s false choice

   Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, November 28, 2018 The Toronto Sun recently published a letter to the editor from Ontario Finance Minister Vic Fedeli (pictured above) objecting to my last column —specifically, my assertion that the government’s mini-budget ...

5. On spending and deficits—if nothing changes, nothing changes

   Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, November 21, 2018 Last week, Finance Minister Vic Fedeli tabled Ontario’s Fall Economic Statement. This “mini-budget” was an opportunity for the Ford government to get serious about putting provincial finances on more ...

6. Dear Premier Ford, please look forward—not back

   Appeared in Maclean's, September 26, 2018 This week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford created a committee to investigate the previous Liberal government’s handling of provincial finances including its accounting methods. Premier Ford compared Liberal ...

7. The Wynne budget—more spending, more fiscal problems, more debt

   Appeared in the Toronto Sun, March 29, 2018 Finance Minister Charles Sousa has tabled Ontario’s 2018 budget. And above all else, the pre-election document is characterized by a complete absence of fiscal discipline and dangerous willingness to saddle ...

8. New Year's resolutions for Wynne government—cut taxes, restrain spending, grow the economy

   Appeared in the Toronto Sun, January 5, 2018 As the new year begins, many of us are making resolutions. Whether it's getting more exercise, saving more money, spending more time with loved ones, or something else, we're looking for resolutions ...

9. Quebec unemployment rate now lower than Ontario’s

   There’s a remarkable economic transformation underway in Quebec. The economy is growing and the unemployment rate is down. Indeed, Quebec’s unemployment rate (three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted) in July at 5.9 per cent is ...

10. Wynne government places big bet on revenue growth

    Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, August 23, 2017 This year, Ontario’s operating budget is balanced for the first time in a decade. Of course, Ontario remains heavily indebted and is adding billions of dollars in new debt every year from capital spending that ...