VANCOUVER—With the federal government running deficits during times of positive economic growth, Ottawa’s annual deficit could reach $120 billion in the next few years if Canada enters a recession, finds a new study by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“By running deficits in good times, if and when Canada’s economy slows down—or worse, hits a recession—there’s a very real risk Canada’s existing deficits could grow substantially,” said Jason Clemens, executive vice-president of the Fraser Institute and co-author of Federal Deficits and Recession: What Could Happen.