Business
Government debt burden increasing across Canada
From the Fraser Institute
By Tegan Hill, Jake Fuss and Spencer Gudewill
As governments across Canada unveil their 2025 budgets, outlining their tax and spending plans for the upcoming fiscal year, they have an opportunity to reverse the trend of deficits and increasing debt that has reigned in recent years.
Indeed, budget deficits, which fuel debt accumulation, have become a serious fiscal challenge for the federal and many provincial governments, primarily due to high levels of government spending. Since 2007/08—the final fiscal year before the financial crisis—combined federal and provincial net debt (inflation-adjusted) has nearly doubled from $1.2 trillion to a projected $2.3 trillion in 2024/25. And you can’t blame COVID, as combined federal and provincial net debt (inflation-adjusted) increased by nearly $600 billion between 2007/08 and 2019/20.
Federal and provincial net debt (inflation-adjusted) per person has increased in every province since 2007/08. As shown in the below chart, Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest combined (federal and provincial) debt per person ($68,516) in 2024/25 followed by Quebec ($60,565) and Ontario ($60,456). In contrast, Alberta has the lowest combined debt per person ($41,236) in the country. Combined federal and provincial net debt represents the total provincial net debt, and the federal portion allocated to each of the provinces based on a five-year average (2020-2024) of their population as a share of Canada’s total population.
The combined federal and total provincial debt-to-GDP ratio, an important fiscal indicator that compares debt with the size of the overall economy, is projected to reach 75.2 per cent in 2024/25. By comparison, the ratio was 53.2 per cent in 2007/08. A rising debt-to-GDP ratio indicates government debt has grown at an unsustainable rate (in other words, debt levels are growing faster than the economy). Among the provinces, the combined federal-provincial debt-to-GDP ratio is highest in Nova Scotia (92.0 per cent) and lowest in Alberta (42.2 per cent). Again, the federal debt portion is allocated to provinces based on a five-year average (2020-2024) of their population as a share of Canada’s total population.
Interest payments are a major consequence of debt accumulation. Governments must make interest payments on their debt similar to households that must pay interest on mortgages, vehicles or credit card spending. When taxpayer money goes towards interest payments, there’s less money available for tax cuts or government programs such as health care and education.
Interest on government debt (federal and provincial) costs each Canadian at least $1,930 in 2024/25. The amount, however, varies by province. Combined interest costs per person are highest in Newfoundland and Labrador ($3,453) and lowest in Alberta ($1,930). Similar to net debt, combined federal and provincial interest costs are represented by the total of the provincial and federal portion with the federal portion allocated to each of provinces based on a five-year average (2020-2024) of their population as a share of Canada’s total population.
Debt accumulation comes with consequences for everyday Canadians as more and more taxpayer money flows towards interest payments rather than tax relief or programs and services. This budget season, federal and provincial governments should develop long-term plans to meaningfully address the growing debt problem in Canada.
MxM News
Quick Hit:
Elon Musk made a dramatic appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, wielding a chromed-out chainsaw gifted by Argentina’s President Javier Milei. The prop symbolized Musk’s commitment to slashing bureaucratic red tape through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Key Details:
- Musk received the chainsaw from Milei before his sit-down interview at CPAC in Maryland.
- The chainsaw was engraved with Milei’s catchphrase, “Viva la libertad carajo!” which translates to “Long live freedom, Goddammit!”
- Musk brandished the chainsaw on stage, declaring it the “chainsaw for bureaucracy” to a cheering conservative crowd.
Diving Deeper:
Argentina’s President Javier Milei presented the symbolic chainsaw to Elon Musk ahead of his interview at CPAC, reinforcing their shared vision of reducing governmental influence. The chainsaw, emblazoned with Milei’s signature slogan, was meant to represent Musk’s mission with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut waste, fraud, and abuse within federal agencies.
Musk enthusiastically accepted the gift and held it aloft, declaring it the “chainsaw for bureaucracy.” The bold gesture was well-received by the conservative audience, with Musk adding a simple yet effective rallying cry: “Chainsaw!” The theatrics were in line with his commitment to DOGE’s mission of downsizing federal bureaucracy, drawing inspiration from Milei’s aggressive government-cutting measures in Argentina.
Milei’s fiscal conservatism has gained international attention, influencing Musk’s approach to DOGE. The Argentine president’s radical budget cuts and advocacy for limited government resonate with Musk’s goals for the United States. By symbolically passing the chainsaw to Musk, Milei reinforced a partnership rooted in economic freedom and governmental reform.
Musk later posted a photo of himself with the chainsaw on his social media platform, X, captioning it, “This is a real picture,” underscoring his commitment to his bureaucratic overhaul agenda. The image quickly went viral, amplifying the message of aggressive government reform.
The bold display at CPAC not only solidified Musk’s role as a disruptor within the political landscape but also strengthened the ideological bond between Musk and Milei, signaling an international alliance against government inefficiency.
Business
Federal Heritage Minister recommends nearly doubling CBC funding and reducing accountability
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling for the CBC to be completely defunded in the wake of the federal Liberal government’s recommendation to nearly double the state broadcaster’s cost to taxpayers and hide its budget reporting.
“It is outrageous for the government to try to hide the cost of the CBC from the taxpayers who are paying its bills,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “This government is totally out touch if it thinks it can nearly double CBC’s cost to taxpayers and try to hide its costs.”
Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said the government should nearly double the amount of money the CBC takes from taxpayers every year.
The CBC will cost taxpayers about $1.4 billion this year.
“The average funding for public broadcasters in G7 countries is $62 per person, per year,” St-Onge said. “We need to aim closer to the middle ground, which is $62 per year per person.”
Canada’s population is about 41.5 million people. If the government funded the CBC the way the minister is recommending, the CBC would cost taxpayers about $2.5 billion per year.
That amount would cover the annual grocery bill of about 152,854 Canadian families.
St-Onge also recommended the annual taxpayer funding for the CBC be removed from the government budget report and instead be entrenched in government statutory appropriations.
“I propose that it be financed directly in the legislation instead of in the budget through statutory appropriation,” St-Onge said.
“Canadians have told this government that the CBC costs them too much money, that it is not accountable to taxpayers and they don’t watch it, and now the government wants to double down on all those problems,” said Kris Sims, CTF Alberta Director. “The CBC is an enormous waste of money and journalists should not be paid by the government.
“The CBC must be defunded.”
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