Of course, some of this spending growth is due to cost pressures from a growing population and inflation. Onetime pandemic-related spending has been wound down entirely, and inflation-adjusted per-person spending is higher now than in 2020 or 2021. Unfortunately, the Eby government plans to maintain the current elevated spending levels for the foreseeable future. And according to the budget, the government will not likely reduce inflation-adjusted per-person spending over the next three years. Increased spending is the reason big deficits have emerged, and reversing the spending growth is the only way the Eby government can contain the debt explosion.