Less Debt, More Growth: A Shadow Federal Budget for 2019

The C.D. Howe Institute’s Shadow Federal Budget for 2019 looks past the overspending and deficits the federal government has adopted as its fiscal signature since its election in 2015. Instead, our focus is on ensuring the competitiveness and dynamism of the Canadian economy in the near and medium-term, setting the stage for a return to surpluses during the next Parliament. This Shadow Budget would improve tax competitiveness in the near term and lay the groundwork for a much-needed modernization of the tax system in the years ahead. It would enhance Canadians’ educational, labour-market and retirement prospects. It would facilitate international trade, invest in core federal infrastructure and reduce red tape. And, critically, it would improve fiscal accountability, contain spending and assure Canadians that their federal government is on a return to budget balance.