30 per cent chance Ottawa fails to meet its fiscal goal over 10-year period; likelihood of failure jumps to 53 per cent over 20 years

VANCOUVER—With current fiscal policies, and prior to the 2023 budget being presented, the federal government faces between a 30 per cent and 53 per cent chance of failing to meet its core fiscal goal of reducing federal debt as a share of the Canadian economy, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

“The federal government has committed to gradually reducing federal debt as a share of the national economy over the medium term, but they have not accounted for the impact of recessions, which will make it difficult to achieve this stated goal,” commented Jake Fuss, associate director of fiscal studies at the Fraser Institute. -- More...