In this edition of Graphic Intelligence, we highlight the cumulative spending overruns for Canadian governments between 2001 and 2016, as a share of their 2016-17 budgets.
As the chart above shows, only Newfoundland and Labrador has spent less than anticipated in its budgets. The federal government has been the overall best at keeping to its targets, while the territories fare particularly badly.
To read more on the important role of fiscal accountability for Canadian governments, see, Numbers You can Trust? The Fiscal Accountability of Canada’s Senior Governments, 2017, by Colin Busby and Bill Robson.
