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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. ...

Freeland doubles down despite dismal pre-COVID economic numbers

The Trudeau government ranks last on average total household income growth. ...

Alberta needs new (old) rule to stabilize government resource revenues

In 2020/21, Alberta’s non-renewable resource revenue will comprise only 4.7 per cent of provincial revenue. ...

A New (Old) Fiscal Rule for Non-Renewable Resource Revenue in Alberta

Alberta’s government finances are once again in a perilous state with ongoing deficits, mounting debt and near record levels of spending. One of the greatest contributors to Alberta’s fiscal instability is the provincial government’s treatment of non ...

Why subsidies for entertainment don’t work as intended

The estimated total cost of the tax credit in 2021 is $265 million. ...

Federal government’s spending rationale based on misleading debt picture

Canada has the fifth-highest level of total indebtedness (relative to the size of our economy) among 29 industrialized countries. ...

Caution Required When Comparing Canada’s Debt to that of Other Countries

The federal government continues to rationalize its debt-financed spending based on international comparisons showing Canada with the lowest level of debt in the G7. Of the two broad measures of debt, gross debt includes most forms of debt while ...