The last province known for fiscal discipline is now spending like Ottawa

The Alberta government’s recent budget confirmed a nagging suspicion that many concerned Canadians have had for some time: the era of fiscal responsibility in Canada is truly over.

The federal government hasn’t been fiscally responsible with Canadians’ tax dollars for some time, racking up large deficits and dramatically increasing government debt since 2015.

But some provinces, led by Alberta under Premier Danielle Smith and New Brunswick under former premier Blaine Higgs, had been controlling spending and paying down debt.

Those provincial examples of fiscal restraint have now disappeared. Higgs lost re-election in the fall of 2024 and New Brunswick’s finances are now in shambles.

Smith is still in office, but over the past two years her government has let spending get out of control.

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Consider the budget Smith’s finance minister, Nate Horner, delivered late last month.

Budget 2026 raises spending significantly, hikes taxes and includes a jaw-dropping $9.4 billion deficit, which represents nearly 13 per cent of overall government revenue.

The........

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