The Politics of Money: An IFSD Podcast

Bonus: Estimates ExplainedEach year, Parliament is asked to approve hundreds of billions of dollars in public spending through the Main Estimates. And each year, confusion follows about what the Estimates do and don’t mean.What’s new spending? What Departments are being cut and by how much? How do we reconcile the Estimates and the Budget? Why don’t the numbers line up?Kevin Page and Sahir Khan worked inside central government agencies crafting budgets and spending plans. Later they worked in the Parliamentary Budget Office, helping MPs decode government’s spending plans. In this bonus episode of The Politics of Money, Kevin and Sahir discuss why Canada’s spending system is so difficult to interpret – by design. They unpack the parallel systems that govern public finance: one built for planning and policy; the other for parliamentary approvals. The conversation walks listeners through how Budgets, Main Estimates, Departmental Plans, and Public Accounts fit together — and why Parliament is often asked to vote without a single, coherent picture of government spending. Kevin and Sahir close with practical ideas for reforms that would make Canada’s public finance system clearer, more transparent, and more accountable. 

What holds a country together when pressures—internal and external—keep rising?In this episode of The Politics of Money, IFSD’s President Kevin Page sits down with Stéphane Dion for a wide‑ranging discussion on the difficult choices facing Canada today. Drawing on Dion’s experience as a cabinet minister to three prime ministers, ambassador to Europe, and political scientist, the conversation dives into how Canada navigates ongoing regional tensions and threats of separation, the durability of our democratic institutions, and how federalism provides checks and balances on governments. Recently returned from eight years as Canada's lead Ambassador in Europe, Dion shares insights into Canada–Europe relations, trade diversification, and the geopolitical challenges shaping Canada’s international economic and diplomatic choices –– including the war in Ukraine and prospects for reconstruction.

Hosted by Kevin Page and Sahir Khan, IFSD's new podcast examines how money moves through government and how public finance shapes political choices. 🎙️ Smart, fact-based discussions about how decisions are made – and why they matter.The Politics of Money. A trustworthy podcast in uncertain times.  Click here to watch a video of this episode.

The Politics of Money is a new podcast from the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy. Each episode the IFSD team and guests will explore how public finance, politics, and institutions shape the world we live in. Our podcast’s mission is to demystify how money moves through government, why it matters, and how decisions made in Ottawa ripple across Canada and beyond. In our first (bonus!) episode, former Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page is joined by former Deputy PBOs Sahir Khan and Mostafa Askari for a quick discussion on the nomination of Annette Ryan as the next PBO. The IFSD team explores the state of the PBO today, Annette Ryan's qualifications and the potential challenges ahead for the Office of the PBO.   Our first full length episode, coming soon, will feature a one-on-one conversation with Stéphane Dion and Kevin Page. They discuss Canadian unity and potential provincial referendums, the state of Canada-Europe relations and the war in Ukraine.