Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
On this episode of On Second Street, host Colin Craig digs into a striking new finding: the average Canadian family now spends more on taxes and government fees each year than on food, shelter and clothing combined, about 42% of income in taxes versus 36% on the basics. Colin is joined by Jake Fuss of Fraser Institute and Renaud Brossard of the Montreal Economic Institute. They unpack how the tax bill has flipped since the 1960s, which level of government takes the biggest bite, and practical ways Ottawa, the provinces and cities could rein in spending, from ending corporate welfare to line-by-line spending reviews and public-sector compensation, without gutting the services Canadians actually rely on.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Welcome
00:56 How the average family’s 42% tax bill is calculated
01:51 How taxes overtook necessities since the 1960s
04:05 Which level of government takes the biggest bite
05:36 Can governments cut spending without hurting core services?
09:20 Getting municipal spending under control
11:11 Renaud Brossard on ending corporate welfare
13:53 The Chrétien-era line-by-line spending review
15:57 The $125–135 billion deficit forecast for 2035
18:30 Reining in public-sector compensation
21:40 Final thoughts
GUESTS
• Jake Fuss: Director Of Fiscal Studies - Fraser Institute
• Renaud Brossard: Communications Vice President - MEI
On Second Street
Host: Colin Craig
FOLLOW US
• Subscribe: youtube.com/@TheNewsForum
• Twitter/X: https://x.com/thenewsforum_
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-news-forum
TAGS
#thenewsforumca #onsecondstreet #taxes #CdnPoli #CdnEcon #Canada #GovernmentSpending #Deficit #Taxpayers #Affordability #CorporateWelfare #FiscalPolicy
On this episode of On Second Street, host Colin Craig digs into a striking new finding: the average Canadian family now spends more on taxes and government fees each year than on food, shelter and clothing combined, about 42% of income in taxes versus 36% on the basics. Colin is joined by Jake Fuss of Fraser Institute and Renaud Brossard of the Montreal Economic Institute. They unpack how the tax bill has flipped since the 1960s, which level of government takes the biggest bite, and practical ways Ottawa, the provinces and cities could rein in spending, from ending corporate welfare to line-by-line spending reviews and public-sector compensation, without gutting the services Canadians actually rely on.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Welcome
00:56 How the average family’s 42% tax bill is calculated
01:51 How taxes overtook necessities since the 1960s
04:05 Which level of government takes the biggest bite
05:36 Can governments cut spending without hurting core services?
09:20 Getting municipal spending under control
11:11 Renaud Brossard on ending corporate welfare
13:53 The Chrétien-era line-by-line spending review
15:57 The $125–135 billion deficit forecast for 2035
18:30 Reining in public-sector compensation
21:40 Final thoughts
GUESTS
• Jake Fuss: Director Of Fiscal Studies - Fraser Institute
• Renaud Brossard: Communications Vice President - MEI
On Second Street
Host: Colin Craig
FOLLOW US
• Subscribe: youtube.com/@TheNewsForum
• Twitter/X: https://x.com/thenewsforum_
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-news-forum
TAGS
#thenewsforumca #onsecondstreet #taxes #CdnPoli #CdnEcon #Canada #GovernmentSpending #Deficit #Taxpayers #Affordability #CorporateWelfare #FiscalPolicy
