Unleashing Alberta's Energy Future Press Conference, Nov 26, 2025
VANCOUVER — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith ranked highest among Canadian premiers for fiscal management in 2024-25, while Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew ranked last, according to a new study by the Fraser Institute, a conservative think-tank located in Vancouver.
The report evaluates the fiscal performance of seven current and three former premiers based on government spending, taxes, and deficits and debt through the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Smith received an overall score of 75.6 out of 100, the highest among those assessed. Ontario Premier Doug Ford ranked second with a score of 64.5. Former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Andrew Furey placed ninth, while Kinew ranked 10th with a score of 31.1.
Jake Fuss, director of fiscal studies at the Fraser Institute and the study’s author, said the results highlight ongoing weaknesses in provincial finances across Canada.
“The fact that the highest ranking premier only scored 75.6 out of a 100 reflects the weak state of provincial finances across the country,” Fuss said in a statement.
On deficits and debt, Smith scored a perfect 100, followed by former New Brunswick premier Blaine Higgs at 88.5 and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston at 81.9. Kinew, Furey and British Columbia Premier David Eby each scored below 50 in that category, with Eby receiving a score of zero.
In government spending, Ford ranked highest with a score of 83.2, followed by Eby at 80.8 and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe at 69.6. Smith, Houston, Quebec Premier Francois Legault and Kinew scored below 50.
Smith led all premiers on taxes with a score of 79.4. The lowest scores in that category were recorded by Atlantic premiers, including Higgs, Furey, Houston and Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King.
Fuss said all premiers have room for improvement, adding governments should prioritize spending restraint, balanced budgets, lower debt levels and more competitive tax systems.
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