Why a ‘better than expected’ federal budget deficit isn’t good enough

About this episode

Jack Mintz discusses the implications of Canada's federal budget deficit and the risks of fiscal mismanagement.

Jack Mintz, well-known economist and president’s fellow at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, says that while the federal government’s updated deficit may be “better than expected,” Canada is still running large, persistent deficits with a rising debt-to-GDP ratio and no credible path back to balance. He argues the bigger issue is the absence of clear fiscal anchors, warning the country risks drifting back toward the fiscal patterns of the 1970s and ’80s if spending isn’t constrained. On the new sovereign wealth fund, Mintz highlights key differences from international models, suggesting it more closely resembles a government-directed investment vehicle—with the risk of becoming a politicized “slush fund.”  The Hub is Canada’s fastest-growing independent digital news outlet. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get our latest videos: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada Subscribe to The Hub’s podcast feed to get our best content when you are on the go: https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)  https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)   Want more Hub? Get a FREE 3-month trial membership on us: https://thehub.ca/free-trial/ Follow The Hub on X…

People in this episode

Host: Falice Chin

Guest: Jack Mintz

Topics covered

• federal budget
• deficit
• economics
• fiscal policy
• sovereign wealth fund
• government spending

Keywords

• deficit
• debt-to-GDP
• fiscal anchors
• sovereign wealth fund
• government spending
• Canada

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Calgary, The Hub, Acast

Places: Canada

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