Common cents
When the recession hit in 2008, Canada's governments fell off the balanced budget wagon with amazing speed, pouring themselves billions in public debt and courting a horrible interest payment hangover. Today, with the country's economic troubles supposedly in the past, the "emergency" spending continues in the apparent belief political, if not economic survival, requires it.
Except in the birthplace of Canadian socialism, Saskatchewan, where premier Brad Wall has the only budget surplus in the country and the highest popularity rating.