Fiscal sustainability and the future of public services

The Mowat Centre and the School of Public Policy & Governance have undertaken this study because of our commitment to better understand how governments can improve their ability to deliver high-quality public services and public policy, even in times of fiscal constraint. [...] KPMG has supported this study financially because of its commitment to help its clients understand the challenges faced by governments and to contribute to the discussion of strategies that can be used to address these challenges. [...] For those who believe in the future of public services, now is not the time for Canadians and their governments to hug the status quo. [...] The risk of sovereign debt default, particularly in relation to Greece and Italy, still threatens to destabilize the economic recovery of eurozone members and OECD member states more broadly. [...] The long-term eff ectiveness of increasing the top rate of income tax is subject to a number of contingencies.