Having said that, when the federal government is looking to spend, Ontario would offer the following advice. Do not just layer new programs on top of the old without testing whether the old programs remain useful, effective, and efficient. In Ontario and Alberta, the governments have implemented a rigorous business planning process for each ministry. This process identifies objectives and targets to measure results. It ensures accountability and identifies programs that are no longer relevant to the needs of citizens.
Government provides a vital role in a well-ordered society.
However, there is little doubt that in recent decades we have had too much government. The benefits from specific government programs are concentrated while the taxpaying burden is spread out. In spite of that, in recent years the general dismay of taxpayers about excessive spending and debt has become influential. This is a sign that governments have grown much larger than they ought to be. Two researchers at the International Monetary Fund have published a fascinating historical study of the growth of governments in the leading industrialized countries over the past century.