"Six years after the global recession plunged governments the world over into fiscal deficit mode, Ontario remains mired in deficit scare tactics engineered by the previous McGuinty government.

In its waning years, the McGuinty government invested heavily in creating an atmosphere of fiscal crisis in Ontario. The objective was to push the reset button on an exercise in public services rebuilding that had outpaced the tolerance of the Liberals’ more conservative backers."

In this three part primer, CCPA Ontario Research Associate Hugh Mackenzie shares his analysis of Ontario's deficit gamesmanship and how it stands in the way of making progress on income inequality, having an adult conversation about taxes, and taking action to rebuild the economy. 

- Part One:The staying power of Ontario’s deficit games

- Part Two: Tackling Ontario's public services deficit

- Part Three: The uncomfortable truth behind deficit politics