As the us wrestles with its growing fiscal crisis northern light examines what lessons americans and their political leaders might draw from how canada in the 1990s slew its deficit dragon balanced the budget fixed public pensions and social welfare and in so doing helped forge a national consensus in favour of responsible public finances that endures to this day. As the us wrestles with its growing fiscal crisis northern light examines what lessons americans and their political leaders might draw from how canada in the 1990s slew its deficit dragon balanced the budget fixed public pensions and social welfare and in so doing helped forge a national consens. Read northern light lessons for america from canadas fiscal fix by niels veldhuis available from rakuten kobo as the us wrestles with its growing fiscal crisis northern light examines what lessons americans and their political le. In northern light lessons for america from canadas fiscal fix brian lee crowley managing director of the ottawa based macdonald laurier institute and nashville based robert p murphy principal at consulting by rpm conclude all american office holders are fully aware of the tough medicine needed to heal a fiscal crisis that is only getting worse but they fear the political consequences. As the us wrestles with its growing fiscal crisis northern light examines what lessons americans and their political leaders might draw from how canada in the 1990s slew its deficit dragon balanced the budget fixed public pensions and social welfare and in so doing helped forge a national consensus in favour of responsible public finances that endures to this day