Scholarly Comments on Academic Economics

My Most Regretted Statements: Canada as a Welfare State

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Abstract

Here, as requested, I tell of my most regretted statement, which was, “Canada is the Sweden of the Americas.” For years, during my time as Canada’s Minister of National Health & Welfare and afterwards, I had thought and declared that Canada was highly advanced among developed countries in its general provision of social benefits. I later learned that I had been overstating the generosity of the Canadian system. There is today an urgent need for Canada to re-balance its budget away from spending on its health care system and toward welfare and social policies.