In the early 1990s, the Alberta government set the standard for having a clear and closely controlled fiscal framework. The focus of that fiscal framework was on eliminating deficits and debt. Today, Alberta faces a period of surpluses and savings,…

Alberta’s fiscal performance in the second half of the 1990s made possible two significant achievements: lower debt and tax reform. But more recently, Alberta has allowed its underlying spending path to grow much faster than a reasonable estimate of future…

Dear Premier Klein, During and since the recent federal election, we have been among a large number of Albertans discussing the future of our province. We were not dismayed by the outcome of the election so much as by the…

This week, Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm complained that it was high time his province got its fair share of revenue from its energy resources — just like Alberta. He went on to argue that Nova Scotia should get its…

The welfare reform program that Alberta embarked on in 1993 has reduced the province’s welfare caseload, as a percentage of its population, to levels not seen since before the early 1980s’ recession, a success that has important lessons for other…