Ontario's economy was the second-worst managed in the country last year, according to a new report from the Fraser Institute.
A report released by the right-leaning think-tank on Tuesday said Premier Dalton McGuinty led Ontario's government to a ninth-place ranking, ahead of only Robert Ghiz's management in Prince Edward Island.
Former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell managed his province's economy best, according to the think-tank.
Charles Lammam, senior policy analyst with the Fraser Institute, said Ontario's poor standing mixed with Quebec's sixth-place result was bad news for the country.
"With Ontario and Quebec making up nearly 60 per cent of the entire Canadian economy, it's critical for our country's success that these provinces have strong economies," Lammam said in a statement.
Lammam said that for Ontario to regain its position as an economic powerhouse the premier needs to curtail spending, balance the provincial budget and lower taxes on personal income.
The report noted that McGuinty has a mixed record on taxes. He increased business taxes after coming into power in 2003, but has adjusted course and improved the business tax regime, according to the report.
The annual study, titled Measuring the Fiscal Performance of Canada's Premiers, evaluated provincial leaders on government spending, taxes and debt and deficits and assigned a grade out of 100 points.
How the premiers scored:
- Gordon Campbell*, B.C. – 83.1/100
- Danny Williams*, Nfld. – 72.9/100
- Darrell Dexter, N.S. – 60.4/100
- Brad Wall, Sask. – 53.8/100
- Ed Stelmach, Alta. – 53.7/100
- Jean Charest, Que. – 45.5/100
- Shawn Graham*, N.B. – 35.1/100
- Greg Selinger, Man. – 34.3/100
- Dalton McGuinty, Ont. – 34/100
- Robert Ghiz, PEI – 27/100
*Former premiers were evaluated in cases where the current premier assumed power partway through the fiscal year.
