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1. Ottawa’s ballooning debt and deficits should be major campaign issue

   Canada has the fifth-highest level of total government debt among 29 industrialized countries. ...

2. Interest on federal debt—a growing problem

   Interest payments on the federal debt are expected to equal $20.2 billion in 2020/21. ...

3. To fulfill Trudeau’s latest fiscal promise, spring budget must chart path to budget balance

   Prime Minister Trudeau’s end-of-year comments, where he committed to “absolutely” returning to a balanced budget post-COVID, will continue to ring hollow unless the spring budget includes decisive action. The pre-Christmas statement to ...

4. Trudeau government must chart credible plan to balance federal budget

   Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, January 13, 2021 In the late stages of 2020, Prime Minister Trudeau committed to “absolutely” balance the federal budget—at some point in the future. Of course, a balanced budget would halt the debt accumulation that started ...

5. Making sense of Canada’s $381.6 billion federal budget deficit

   The Trudeau government this week published its fall fiscal update for 2020. The headline-grabbing number emerging from the report was the government’s forecasted budget deficit for the year—$381.6 billion. As is often the case when it ...

6. Trudeau government’s approach to federal finances anything but ‘prudent’

   Appeared in the National Newswatch, December 2, 2020 Since coming to power in 2015, Prime Minister Trudeau —and his finance ministers —have characterized their management of federal finances as “prudent,” an adjective meaning to act with or show care and ...

7. Canada’s spending and deficits higher than comparable countries during pandemic

   Governments around the world have significantly ramped up spending due to the COVID-19 recession. However, recent data from the International Monetary Fund’s semi-annual fiscal monitor reveals that Canada has largely outpaced other ...

8. Throne speech brings bigger government, more fiscal challenges

   In today’s throne speech, the Trudeau government announced substantial new spending commitments, marking a new vision for Canada, which includes increasing the size and role of government. Unfortunately, more spending and bigger ...

9. Trudeau government ignores implications of Canada’s aging population at our peril

   Appeared in the Toronto Sun, September 23, 2020 Today’s throne speech in Ottawa will likely include key aspects of the Trudeau government’s economic plan for next year and beyond. Big spending items such as “green” infrastructure, housing, childcare, a ...

10. The finance minister said what? Part 5

    On July 8, Finance Minister Bill Morneau delivered the federal government’s economic and fiscal “ snapshot,” which pins the federal deficit at $343 billion in 2020. The finance minister lauded (yet again) that the government’s fiscal ...