Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has emerged as the top-ranked first minister in Canada for her approach to fiscal management, according to a recent comprehensive study. The analysis assessed each premier’s performance across key areas of economic policy, placing Smith firmly in the lead.
The study’s author highlighted Smith’s success in maintaining relatively low tax rates for both businesses and individuals as a primary driver of her high score. Crucially, she also oversaw the largest surplus as a percentage of GDP compared to her provincial counterparts, and actively worked to reduce Alberta’s overall debt.
The ranking system, scoring premiers out of 100, evaluated government spending, tax policies, and the management of deficits and debt during the 2024/25 fiscal year. Smith achieved a score of 75.6, significantly surpassing the performance of other provincial leaders.
Ontario’s Doug Ford secured the second-highest ranking with a score of 64.5, while former New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs followed closely in third. Ford’s success stemmed from comparatively better spending control, though his performance was more moderate in other categories.
Higgs, despite recently losing his seat, demonstrated strength in deficit and debt management, ranking second only to Smith in that area. He consistently delivered surpluses and reduced New Brunswick’s debt during his time in office, even while facing higher tax rates than some other provinces.
The bottom three rankings were occupied by British Columbia’s David Eby, former Newfoundland Premier Andrew Furey, and Manitoba’s Wab Kinew. Their lower scores were largely attributed to consistent deficits and a substantial accumulation of debt throughout their tenures.
The study’s findings suggest a clear divergence in fiscal approaches across Canada, with some premiers prioritizing debt reduction and surplus generation while others have relied on deficit spending. This performance evaluation offers a detailed snapshot of each province’s economic trajectory under its current leadership.
