The Fraser Institute says Danny Williams and Joey Smallwood remain at the top of the list of NL’s highest-spending premiers.
The public policy think-tank compiled inflation-adjusted spending levels since 1965 and found that Williams spent $17,798 on programs per person in 2023 dollars in 2005.
That’s the highest spending level in 60 years.
Meanwhile, the province’s first premier, Joey Smallwood who served for two decades, saw the greatest average annual inflation-adjusted increase in spending of 14.3 per cent over 7 years from 1965 to 1972.
(via The Fraser Institute and AIMS)
Williams saw an average per person spending increase of 7.8 per cent, followed by Frank Moores at 4.8 per cent, Roger Grimes at 3.2 per cent, Brian Tobin at 2.3 per cent, Paul Davis at 1 per cent and Clyde Wells at 0.5 per cent.
The Fraser Institute found that Brian Peckford and Dwight Ball presided overspending levels that were virtually flat, while Tom Marshall, Andrew Furey and Kathy Dunderdale reduced person program spending during their tenures.
Tony Wakeham is not ranked as 2023 represents the latest year of available comparable data.
The Fraser Institute’s Alex Whalen says Newfoundlanders and Labradorians ultimately fund provincial government spending through taxes, and it’s important to understand how spending has changed over time.
