The federal Fiscal Monitor data for July 2023

This post summarizes the latest Fiscal Monitor data to help Canadians better understand recent developments in public finances. In addition, we use the monthly data to construct projections for total federal revenue, expenses and the budget balance by the end of the fiscal year. Read this articleThe federal Fiscal Monitor data for July 2023

The federal Fiscal Monitor data for January 2023

This post summarizes recent developments in the Fiscal Monitor data to help Canadians better understand recent developments in public finances. In addition, we use the monthly data to construct projections for total federal revenue, expenses and the budget balance by the end of the fiscal year. Read this articleThe federal Fiscal Monitor data for January 2023

The federal Fiscal Monitor data for December 2022

This post summarizes recent developments in the Fiscal Monitor data to help Canadians better understand recent developments in federal public finances. In addition, we use the monthly data to construct projections for total federal revenue, expenses and the budget balance by the end of the fiscal year. Read this articleThe federal Fiscal Monitor data for December 2022

The federal Fiscal Monitor data for November 2022

Parliament Buildings

This post summarizes recent developments in the Fiscal Monitor data to help Canadians better understand recent developments in federal public finances. In addition, we use the monthly data to construct projections for total federal revenue, expenses and the budget balance by the end of the fiscal year. Read this articleThe federal Fiscal Monitor data for November 2022

No ‘free lunch’ with debt-financed government spending

Warning about running deficits

Proponents focus on the average fiscal cost of program spending when the interest rate on government debt is less than the economy’s growth rate. They ignore the potentially large marginal fiscal cost of deficit-financed increases in spending that arise when a higher public debt increases interest rates on government debt and lowers growth rates. Read this articleNo ‘free lunch’ with debt-financed government spending

Evaluation of federal transfers to the provinces

The federal equalization program and per-capita block grants such as the Canada Health Transfer and Canada Social Transfer have their critics. But equalization helps to prevent outmigration from “have-not” provinces, and block grants in effect substitute federal taxes for less efficient provincial ones. Read this articleEvaluation of federal transfers to the provinces

A new tool to understand Canada’s fiscal sustainability

A new tool from Finances of the Nation helps make sense of the long-term fiscal future of Canada’s federal government. Under several reasonable scenarios, the government’s finances are sound. But under others, concerns around long-run sustainability may mount. Read this articleA new tool to understand Canada’s fiscal sustainability