Reduction ad absurdam (II)

Further to the previous, there's some wonkiness in the provincial budget estimates for FY 2005-06. However, here's a different measure of provgov spending, based on Public Accounts data, going back to FY 2003-04, the last budget under the former provincial Liberal government.

The large figures show the total provincial government's program expenditures (i.e., money spent on everything other than servicing the debt), in millions of dollars. The smaller figures show the year-over-year change in program spending.


Other than a modest decrease in their first year in office, with the attendant damage to his CRA ego ratings that ensured he'd never try that again, the "Conservatives" under Danny Williams never reduced program spending, making it really quite difficult for them to reduce "further" under Kathy Dunderdale.

Note Danny Williams' parting gift to the more recent, right-hand side of the chart: between FY 2007-08 and his final year in office, provincial program expenditures were upwardly "reduced" by 35%.

[Data source: Fiscal Reference Tables]