Beat

Waste and scandals

Where public money went wrong, who decided, and what the record says. Every entry links to the official finding.

The number

$109.8BReceipt$109,759,000,000Documented overruns, failures and improper payments in drained.ca's waste fileEstimate · 2008 to 2026How we got itfrigate overrun + Trans Mountain overrun + COVID benefits to ineligible recipients + CEBA loans to ineligible recipients + cost to clean up Phoenix + SDTC funding to ineligible projectsInputsaccountability.csc.overrun.2008-2022, accountability.tmx.overrun.2013-2024, accountability.covid.ineligible_paid.2026, accountability.ceba.ineligible.2024-12-02, federal.phoenix.cost_to_fix.2025, accountability.sdtc.ineligible_funding.2017-2023SourceOffice of the Parliamentary Budget OfficerDocumentThe Life Cycle Cost of the Canadian Surface Combatants — A Fiscal Analysis (RP-2223-016-C)WhereSummary (development and acquisition phases)PublishedOctober 27, 2022CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceSourceOffice of the Parliamentary Budget OfficerDocumentThe Cost of Canada's Surface CombatantsWhereExecutive Summary, p. 1 (the original 2008 budget, in then-year dollars)PublishedJune 1, 2017CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceSourceOffice of the Parliamentary Budget OfficerDocumentTrans Mountain Pipeline – 2024 Report (RP-2425-021-S)WhereSummary (total project cost estimate rose from $21.4 billion to $34.2 billion)PublishedNovember 8, 2024CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceSourceKinder MorganDocumentTrans Mountain Files Facilities Expansion Application with the National Energy BoardWhereNews release text ('proposed $5.4 billion project')PublishedDecember 16, 2013CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceSourceCBC NewsDocumentCRA still owed over $5B in COVID-19 benefits sent to ineligible recipientsWhereArticle body (figures the CRA provided to CBC News)PublishedSeptember 18, 2026CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceSourceOffice of the Auditor General of CanadaDocumentReport 8—Canada Emergency Business Account (2024 Reports of the Auditor General)WhereAt a GlancePublishedDecember 2, 2024CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceSourceThe Canadian Press (published by The Globe and Mail)DocumentFixing Phoenix payroll problems cost Ottawa $5.1-billion, says federal officialWhereParagraph quoting Alex Benay, associate deputy minister, Public Services and Procurement Canada, on the roughly $5.1 billion spent processing the backlog of Phoenix pay errorsPublishedJune 23, 2025CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceSourceOffice of the Auditor General of CanadaDocumentReport 6—Sustainable Development Technology Canada (2024 Reports of the Auditor General)WhereAt a Glance; Key facts and findings (8 projects, $51M; 2 Ecosystem projects, $8M)PublishedJune 4, 2024CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceEach item counted once, and only its overrun, failure cost or payments to people and businesses that did not qualify: never whole program costs, contract values, loans repaid, private court orders or cancelled deals.All sourcesaccountability.waste.documented_total.now

documented in overruns, failures and improper spending on this site, so far

Latest

ArriveCAN: $80,000 to build. About $59.5 million to finish. Nobody admits picking the firm.One firm billed the most of it, helped write the requirements for the biggest contract, won it as the only bidder, and its partner was later found in contempt of Parliament.Published October 5, 2026 · Investigation

The standing pages

Other beats

Alberta and Ottawa
$3,876Receipt$3,876Net federal balance per Albertan, 2024Estimate · 2024How we got itnet federal balance in Alberta, 2024 ÷ population of Alberta on July 1, 2024Inputstransfers.alberta.net_federal_balance_history@2024, population.alberta.2024-07-01SourceStatistics CanadaDocumentTable 36-10-0450-01 Revenue, expenditure and budgetary balance - General governments, provincial and territorial economic accountsWhereAlberta; Federal general government; General governments surplus or deficit; 2007 to 2024 (vector v107650174, millions of dollars)PublishedNovember 28, 2025CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceSourceStatistics CanadaDocumentTable 17-10-0009-01 Population estimates, quarterlyWhereAlberta (vector v15), July 1, 2024PublishedSeptember 23, 2026CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceFederal revenue collected in Alberta minus federal spending in Alberta, per person. It is not Equalization.All sourcestransfers.alberta.net_federal_balance.per_person.2024
Immigration and population
41.8MReceipt41,798,407Population of Canada, July 1, 2026Preliminary · 2026-07-01SourceStatistics CanadaDocumentTable 17-10-0009-01 Population estimates, quarterlyWhereCanada (vector v1), July 1, 2026PublishedSeptember 23, 2026CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourcePreliminary postcensal estimate. Statistics Canada revised its population estimates back to July 2021 on September 23, 2026 (new method for non-permanent residents).All sourcespopulation.canada.2026-07-01
Taxes and paycheques
$48,400Receipt$48,400Median employment income, Albertans aged 15 and over with employment income, 2024Actual · 2024SourceStatistics CanadaDocumentTable 11-10-0239-01 Income of individuals by age group, gender and income source, Canada, provinces and selected census metropolitan areasWhereAlberta; 15 years and over; Total - Gender; Employment income; Median income (excluding zeros); 2024 (vector v107680668)PublishedApril 29, 2026CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceCanadian Income Survey, 2024 constant dollars. An individual measure, matching a calculator that taxes one person's income.All sourcesalberta.median_employment_income.2024
Debt and spending
$58.7BReceipt$58,700,000,000Federal public debt charges (interest on the debt), 2026-27Forecast · FY2026-27SourceDepartment of Finance CanadaDocumentSpring Economic Update 2026, Annex 1: Details of Economic and Fiscal ProjectionsWhereTable A1.9 The Expense Outlook, "Public debt charges" row, 2026-2027 columnPublishedApril 28, 2026CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceSpring Economic Update 2026 projection (the government's plan for the year).All sourcesfederal.pdc.fy2026-27
The referendum
October 19, 2026ReceiptOctober 19, 2026Alberta referendum voting dayActual · 2026SourceElections AlbertaDocumentReferendumWherePage heading "A referendum has been set for October 19, 2026."PublishedSeptember 6, 2026CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceElections Alberta lists three Orders in Council for the referendum: O.C. 109/2026 and O.C. 110/2026 (approved March 31, 2026) and O.C. 160/2026 (approved May 28, 2026). The published date is the page's last modification.All sourcesreferendum.date.2026
Alberta’s economy
$367.7BReceipt$367,719,000,000Real GDP at market prices, Alberta, annual (chained 2017 dollars)Actual · 2024SourceStatistics CanadaDocumentTable 36-10-0222-01 Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, provincial and territorial, annualWhereAlberta; Gross domestic product at market prices; Chained (2017) dollars; vector v62788314PublishedNovember 6, 2025CheckedSeptember 28, 2026Open the sourceStatistics Canada has not yet published 2025 in this series. Its first 2025 estimate, by industry at basic prices (table 36-10-0711-01, May 1, 2026), has Alberta real GDP up 2.7% and real GDP per person roughly flat (+0.1%).All sourcespercapita.alberta.real_gdp.2014-2024