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You are paying for our governments’ debt addiction

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From the Fraser Institute

By Jake Fuss and Grady Munro

Ottawa and the provinces will together spend $82 billion on debt interest this year—equivalent to the total amount spent on K-12 education in Canada during 2020-21.

Budget season is approaching and while government debt has been increasing rapidly for years in Canada, today’s relatively high interest rates have made it more expensive to borrow money than in the recent past.

According to our new study published by the Fraser Institute, between 2007-08 and 2023-24 federal and provincial government net debt (i.e., total debt minus financial assets) has increased by roughly $1.0 trillion in inflation-adjusted dollars. Though pandemic-induced deficits explain part of that, fully 58 per cent of the run-up in debt occurred before COVID. That deserves emphasis: our current debt problems are not mainly the result of the pandemic.

Because both federal and provincial governments borrow—municipal governments not so much—Canadians face different government debt burdens depending on where they live. Newfoundland and Labradorians currently owe the largest combined (federal and provincial) government debt in Canada at $67,471 per person. Ontarians are not far behind at $60,609 while Albertans are in the best shape at $42,293.

In terms of debt-to-GDP ratios, the four Atlantic provinces are all currently above 85 per cent, which means it would take more than four out of every five dollars generated in the economy of each Atlantic province this year to pay off their combined federal and provincial debt.

Nova Scotians are worst off, with combined debt equivalent to 97 per cent of what their economy produces in a year. The national average debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to be 76 per cent this year, up significantly from before the pandemic.

Despite a surge in revenues, few Canadian governments are forecasting surpluses for the current fiscal year. Instead, Ottawa and the majority of provinces have chosen to increase their spending and debt and, in most cases, incur deficits for years to come.

This is a worrying trend, as many governments were already on unsustainable debt trajectories that they are now making worse. Governments need to restrain spending and move towards balanced budgets in the short term, while the economy is in relatively good shape, not put off difficult decisions for someone else to take at some future date.

Debt means always having to pay interest. Because their debts have grown and interest rates are higher than they have been for some time, Ottawa and the provinces will together spend $82 billion on debt interest this year—equivalent to the total amount spent on K-12 education in Canada during 2020-21.

Money that goes to interest can’t pay for tax cuts or spending on health care or education. It drives a wedge between the taxes we pay and the services we actually receive. And it burdens, not just today’s taxpayers, but future generations, too.

Growing government debt is not just another unpleasant COVID symptom. It was a problem well before COVID and it’s getting worse even though COVID is now mainly over. This budget season, our federal and provincial governments need to get their fiscal houses in order and stop their debt binging before it spirals even further out of control.

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Alberta

Made in Alberta! Province makes it easier to support local products with Buy Local program

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Show your Alberta side. Buy Local.

When the going gets tough, Albertans stick together. That’s why Alberta’s government is launching a new campaign to benefit hard-working Albertans.

Global uncertainty is threatening the livelihoods of hard-working Alberta farmers, ranchers, processors and their families. The ‘Buy Local’ campaign, recently launched by Alberta’s government, encourages consumers to eat, drink and buy local to show our unified support for the province’s agriculture and food industry.

The government’s ‘Buy Local’ campaign encourages consumers to buy products from Alberta’s hard-working farmers, ranchers and food processors that produce safe, nutritious food for Albertans, Canadians and the world.

“It’s time to let these hard-working Albertans know we have their back. Now, more than ever, we need to shop local and buy made-in-Alberta products. The next time you are grocery shopping or go out for dinner or a drink with your friends or family, support local to demonstrate your Alberta pride. We are pleased tariffs don’t impact the ag industry right now and will keep advocating for our ag industry.”

RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

Alberta’s government supports consumer choice. We are providing tools to help folks easily identify Alberta- and Canadian-made foods and products. Choosing local products keeps Albertans’ hard-earned dollars in our province. Whether it is farm-fresh vegetables, potatoes, honey, craft beer, frozen food or our world-renowned beef, Alberta has an abundance of fresh foods produced right on our doorstep.

Quick facts

  • This summer, Albertans can support local at more than 150 farmers’ markets across the province and meet the folks who make, bake and grow our food.
  • In March 2023, the Alberta government launched the ‘Made in Alberta’ voluntary food and beverage labelling program to support local agriculture and food sectors.
  • Through direct connections with processors, the program has created the momentum to continue expanding consumer awareness about the ‘Made in Alberta’ label to help shoppers quickly identify foods and beverages produced in our province.
  • Made in Alberta product catalogue website

 

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2025 Federal Election

The “Hardhat Vote” Has Embraced Pierre Poilievre

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David Krayden's avatar David Krayden

Blue collar and unionized workers are supporting Pierre Poilievre and the CPC

When President Richard Nixon won a landslide in his 1972 reelection, he did so by broadening his own personal popularity and the appeal of the Republican Party to blue collar and unionized workers. It was called the hardhat vote and many working people embraced Nixon because he seemed to be talking the same language as they were. Nixon talked about law and order and getting tough on crime; safer streets and harsher penalties for serious crime. Although unionized workers had traditionally voted for the Democratic Party and seen the Republicans as the party of the wealthy, by 1972 the Democrats had moved far to the left on social issues and were completely out of touch with average Americans who saw Democratic presidential nominee Sen. George McGovern as being soft on crime and approving of the anarchy on the streets.

It’s precisely the language that Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievere is speaking in the 2025 federal election. As support for the New Democratic Party has collapsed throughout the election campaign, don’t think most of it is going to the Liberal Party. Poilievre has been targeting blue collar workers for years with his emphasis on the trades and talking about middle class tax cuts and safe streets. A factory or construction worker is middle class and just want an affordable lifestyle for their families. They don’t have a lot of time for the woke underbelly of the Liberals or the NDP and are increasingly reluctant to support either party because both have appealed to elites.

Listen to Karl Lovett, the president of the Local 773 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, talk about Carney corruption and why he is supporting Poilievre and the CPC in 2025.

“Mark Carney also failed to pay $5 billion in Canadian taxes by hiding his company’s assets in Bermuda above a bike shop. Hard to believe that information comes from Canada’s NDP, or at least who is left of them, because the irony is, Mark Carney has eaten all those people alive. Even the mayor of Lima has warned Canadians not to vote for Mark Carney, and why for ripping him off the poorest of the poor people in Peru. That’s who he ripped off,” Lovett said.

“Listen, there are countless other outrageous examples proving that Mark Carney doesn’t give a damn about the Canadian working man. And now, as prime minister, which he’s not, Carney is promising to put carbon tax and tariff on the auto industry. It’s another rip-off screen that’s right. We’re getting punched by Trump on one side of the border, and Carney plans to punch us on this side of the border, also pretending it’s all about climate change, and now he’s made millions off the workers’ backs. He wants more than money. He wants more power. He wants all of the power to do whatever he wants to do. Mark Carney cannot be trusted with this power. Mark Carney cannot be trusted to protect workers,” Lovett continued.

The union leader told a cheering crowd that “Mark Carney is in it for himself, and when he loses this election, you can bet Mark Carney is going to leave Canada in a New York minute. But there’s hope, there’s hope, there’s our last hope. His name is Pierre Poilievere – the .only hope for Canadian workers. You see Mark Carney fooled Justin Trudeau. We can’t let him keep fooling us.”

“Local 773, which I represent, knows Pierre Poilievre very well. We can proudly tell you that Pierre has our back. Pierre has been putting Canadian people to work and Canadian workers. First, local 773 began working with Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Member of Parliament Chris Lewis, some years ago, when it became all too clear that the Liberal Party had zero interest in helping out workers. Upon winning the leadership of the party, Pierre made Local 773 his very first priority, he came to my union hall. Pier made the Local 773 Visitor Training Center, and he met all our workers, and he made a pledge to me; he’s not going to turn his back on us, and I believe him,” Lovett said.

Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington agreed with me and you can hear that entire interview, below. “Labor wants to work, and they want to, you know, build things, and they want those good, paying jobs, and that’s what Poilievre has always been about, you know.”

“He wants more power. He wants all of the power to do whatever he wants to do. Mark Carney cannot be trusted with this power. Mark Carney cannot be trusted to protect workers,”

“Again, it’s hard to know, but I always felt … and I still think that Poilievre is going to pull this off because of these reasons that you’ve raised today, I never really bought into and again, I’m just one person’s opinion, and I go on the ground. In the air, the polls are saying, I know there’s this main street poll today, maybe it’ll swing differently. But in the air, it says one thing, and on the ground, it says another thing. And that clip you just showed, that’s the ground, that’s where the workers are, that’s where the families are.”

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