This of course assumes that a balanced budget (or surplus) is something that even should be aimed for. Certainly one shouldn't go crazy with spending (especially when stimulus isn't needed), but the balanced idea seems to be a strange fiscal fetish that is over-focused upon.
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They're the only province to run a balanced budget for last 50 years.
Alberta has had plenty of deficits in the last 10 years, never mind the last fifty:
* https://www.fraserinstitute.org/fr/node/9227
And they're not the only ones to be positive, as Ontario has had several surpluses or small deficits ($200M):
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_government_debt
This of course assumes that a balanced budget (or surplus) is something that even should be aimed for. Certainly one shouldn't go crazy with spending (especially when stimulus isn't needed), but the balanced idea seems to be a strange fiscal fetish that is over-focused upon.