Updated Department of Finance report continues to show the NDP has the best fiscal record in government

Tuesday the Department of Finance released its annual Fiscal Reference Tables. This tracks the Federal and Provincial fiscal balances back to 1980.

Comparing the fiscal record of each party, once again the NDP comes out on top as the best fiscal managers with a 44.9% record of balancing the budget. Conservatives come in second, with 40.8% record of balanced budgets. The Liberals score lowest as fiscal managers, with a record of only 25.0% balanced budgets.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, already under fire for his inability to explain monetary policy like Quantitative Easing, is on track for his sixth straight deficit budget – a record that includes the biggest deficit in Canadian history.

Political party

Years in surplus

Number of Budgets

Budgets in Deficit

NDP

44.9%

69

38

Conservative

40.8%

184

109

PQ

26.7%

15

11

Liberal

25.0%

116

87