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1. Prime Ministers and Government Spending: Updated 2021 Edition

   Per-person federal program spending (adjusted for inflation) reached $17,121 in 2020-21, by far the highest level in Canada’s history. Non-COVID-related per-person spending in 2020-21 was $11,165. Moreover, federal spending is estimated to reach ...

2. Interest Cost Risks to Government Budgets

   This essay calculates the change in government interest costs and budget balances if interest costs return to their 2019-20 levels. Estimates are calculated for 2021-22 gross debt levels for each of the provinces and the federal government. ...

3. Prime Ministers and Government Spending: 2021 Edition

   Ottawa spent twice as much per Canadian in 2020 ($17,091) as it did at height of WWII ($7,769) ...

4. Explaining the Growth in Federal Program Spending since 2015

   In 2019, federal program spending reached $322.9 billion, an increase of $69.1 billion or 27.2% (nominal) since 2015. After adjusting for inflation, the increase in program spending is still sizeable at $50.2 billion or 18.4%. The government finances ...

5. Prime Ministers and Government Spending: Updated 2020 Edition

   This essay updates the previous 2020 measure of per-person program spending by prime ministers, adjusting for inflation, since 1870. This essay focuses on the potential level of spending in 2020 based on the government’s response to the COVID ...

6. Fiscal Policy and Recessions: The Role of Public Infrastructure Spending

   Governments are often encouraged to respond to economic downturns by way of discretionary spending measures intended to stimulate growth, offsetting the negative impacts of reduced private sector activity. In recent decades, governments have placed ...

7. Prime Ministers and Government Spending: 2020 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 ...

8. What Happens to the Federal Deficit if a Recession Occurs in 2019?

   In its latest fiscal update, the Trudeau government revealed that it intends to continue running sizeable budget deficits for the foreseeable future. There are several risks inherent in the federal government’s current approach to fiscal policy ...

9. 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 ...

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

    Main Conclusions During the 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals presented a fiscal plan to Canadians that proposed three years of deficit spending of no more than $10 billion annually with a return to a balanced budget by 2019/20. After ...