Ottawa spent more money in Alberta than it raised in tax revenues from the province in 2020, economist says – CBC

Alberta largest recipient of COVID spending increases per person last year, says Trevor Tombe

Nov 10, 2021

For the first time in decades, new data from Statistics Canada suggests the federal government spent more money in Alberta than it raised from tax revenues in the province last year, a Calgary economist says.

When the pandemic shuttered businesses and reduced work hours across Canada in 2020, emergency fiscal support flowed from the Government of Canada across the country.

This spending included wage subsidies, rent subsidies, boosted child benefits, topped-up employment insurance (EI) payments and forgiven loan repayments.

According to numbers released by Statistics Canada on Monday, Alberta was the largest recipient of COVID-related federal spending increases per person in the country.

In Alberta alone, the federal government also spent nearly $12 billion in business subsidies, while nearly 1.1 million Albertans received Canada emergency response benefit (CERB) payments.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/government-canada-alberta-tax-revenue-covid-1.6243591