Information identified as archived is provided for reference,
research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the
Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or
updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a
format other than those available. Our three levels of
government provide Canadians with many services that cannot be
easily provided by private companies—the federal government is
responsible for national defence and international diplomacy,
for example. The provinces and territories, meanwhile, ensure
that Canadians have access to essential services such as health
care and education. Local governments take care of keeping our
streets clean and our communities safe. The constitution spells
out the responsibilities of each level of government. But
governments’ accounting books shows where their priorities lie
and where they spend taxpayers’ dollars. All told, in 2005/2006
our governments spent $516 .9 billion providing Canadians with
goods and services. In 2005/2006