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1. Quarterly update highlights danger of riding rickety revenue rollercoaster

   The Notley government’s failure to restrain spending is quickly growing Alberta’s debt burden. ...

2. Government debt—a snapshot of each province

   The 2018 edition of the Federal Fiscal Tables is out, so it’s a good time to review the state of provincial government debt in Canada, especially given that we are about 10 years out from the financial crisis and Great Recession. Even ...

3. Alberta’s debt may eclipse 100 per cent of GDP

   Up until 2016/17, the Government of Alberta had no net debt. That is, its financial assets (such as the Heritage Fund) were greater than its liabilities. The province burned through $35 billion of financial assets beginning in 2008/09, ...

4. Another Alberta fiscal update, another increase in spending

   Appeared in the Edmonton Sun, September 13, 2018 Last Friday, heading into the long weekend, the Notley government published its First Quarter Fiscal Update, which projected a smaller-than-expected budget deficit. At $7.8 billion, though, the shortfall is ...

5. Debt-servicing costs—Alberta catching up to other provinces

   Until recently, Albertans paid very little to service provincial debt. This represented a significant fiscal advantage over every other province that had to spend substantial amounts of money each year paying interest on their debt.  ...

6. Is equalization to blame for Alberta’s rapid debt accumulation?

   The last decade or so has been hard on Alberta’s public finances. The province went from a $35 billion net asset position in 2007/08 to a $20 billion net debt position in 2017/18. During that period the province balanced the budget in ...

7. Per person cost of servicing Alberta debt increasing by roughly $100 per year

   Albertans have until recently enjoyed a unique advantage in Canada: a provincial government with no net debt. Having no “net debt” means that while Alberta did carry some debt – for instance, to finance capital projects – the province ...

8. Alberta auditor general spotlights the resource rollercoaster

   Alberta’s auditor general recently produced a report that highlighted risks to Alberta’s long-term fiscal sustainability. The report highlights a number of problems with Alberta’s approach to fiscal policy in recent years, including the ...

9. Interest on Alberta government debt is skyrocketing

   Appeared in the Whitehorse Daily Star, June 11, 2018 When people think of the long lost “Alberta Advantage,” they often think first about the province’s tax advantage over other provinces, specifically, the 10 per cent single rate personal and corporate ...

10. The Decline of the Other Alberta Advantage: Debt Service Costs in Alberta Are Rising

    Throughout recent history, Albertans have enjoyed a substantial fiscal advantage other Canadian taxpayers, resulting from the fact that government debt interest payments in Alberta have been far lower than in any other province. For example, in ...