Atlantic Canada’s Precarious Public Finances finds that the financial positions of the four Atlantic provinces are unsustainable, and they will face rising debt-to-GDP ratios in the coming years in the absence of policy changes or improved economic growth. Crucially, the Atlantic provinces’ finances are more vulnerable than those in other provinces because of a number of economic and demographic factors in the region, such as an older population, high tax and interest rates, and a greater dependency on federal transfers from Ottawa.

The Growing Debt Burden for Canadians: 2021 Edition is a new study that finds combined federal and provincial government debt in Canada has doubled from $1.0 trillion in 2007/08 to a projected $2.0 trillion this year. And the combined debt now equals 91.6 per cent of the Canadian economy—up from 65.2 per cent last year.

Promise and Performance: Recent Trends in Government Expenditures on Indigenous Peoples finds that, according to federal budget projections, from fiscal year 2015-16 to 2021-22, federal spending on Indigenous programs will increase by 50 per cent—from $11 billion to more than $17 billion—despite evidence that more money won’t solve the chronic problems in First Nations communities.