No matter the party, governments run deficits because spending wins votes

Three provinces. Three parties. Three record deficits. When every party runs deficits, ideology isn’t the explanation. The political rewards for spending are.

In Alberta, a United Conservative government that once promised fiscal restraint is now projecting a $9.4-billion deficit, sidestepping its own fiscal laws to do so.

In New Brunswick, a Liberal premier who campaigned on balanced budgets has already delivered one multi-million-dollar deficit, with projections showing that we’re soon in for another.

And in British Columbia, the NDP, not even bothering to feign fiscal discipline, forecast a $13.3-billion deficit in the 2026 budget, the largest in the province’s history.

Until voters punish deficits at the ballot box, nothing will change.Troy Media

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Why? Because in politics, the rewards for spending are immediate while the costs of borrowing are distant, or so they seem.

For politicians, the priority is getting elected, and since getting elected depends on........

© Troy Media