Spending by Her Majesty’s Government since the Conservatives took office in 2006 has increased by 23%, according to an analysis by the Hill Times. This is surprising, given the constant rhetoric of the Conservative Party about the “big spending” nature of the previous Government under the Liberal Party. The analysis compared the Public Accounts (the official record of spending) between the most recently published 2012-2013 year, and the 2006-2007 accounts when the Conservatives formed government following the Commons defeat of the Liberals.
Spending in Transport Canada has more than doubled. This can be partly explained by the fact that this includes Infrastructure Canada, which has received major funding in previous years as part of the Government’s stimulus plan. Spending in Public Works and Government Services Canada has also increased by 59%, as the recipient last year of a new department created by the Government — “Shared Services Canada,” responsible for attempting to consolidate Government technology and infrastructure (see ssc-spc.gc.ca for details about Shared Services Canada).
Considerable spending increases have also been seen in:
Notable decreases in spending have been seen in:
It should be noted that the Conservatives inherited a considerable surplus from the outgoing Liberals in 2006, which can account for a portion of the spending increases (since spending tends to be a requirement for the opposition parties’ support for a minority government), and a spending spike also correlates with the 2009-2010 announcement of stimulus spending to support the economy.
Source: Feds’ spending up 23 per cent since Tories won office (Hill Times)
Spending in Transport Canada has more than doubled. This can be partly explained by the fact that this includes Infrastructure Canada, which has received major funding in previous years as part of the Government’s stimulus plan. Spending in Public Works and Government Services Canada has also increased by 59%, as the recipient last year of a new department created by the Government — “Shared Services Canada,” responsible for attempting to consolidate Government technology and infrastructure (see ssc-spc.gc.ca for details about Shared Services Canada).
Considerable spending increases have also been seen in:
- Treasury Board (47%)
- Citizenship and Immigration Canada (42%)
- Public Safety (40%)
- Finance Canada (14%)
- Industry Canada (14%)
- Environment Canada (10%)
- Fisheries and Oceans (10%)
Notable decreases in spending have been seen in:
- Western Economic Diversification (-46%)
- Québec Economic Development Agency (-19%)
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (-17%)
- Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (-4.5%)
- Canadian Heritage (-4%)
It should be noted that the Conservatives inherited a considerable surplus from the outgoing Liberals in 2006, which can account for a portion of the spending increases (since spending tends to be a requirement for the opposition parties’ support for a minority government), and a spending spike also correlates with the 2009-2010 announcement of stimulus spending to support the economy.
Source: Feds’ spending up 23 per cent since Tories won office (Hill Times)
