Ah, who created the debt?
Figures are from 88-7E "Federal Deficit - Changing Trends" (from 2000 forward, they are estimates). I have inserted federal election results where applicable with dates taken from the Library of Parliament web site.
"Surplus" is either deficit (-) or surplus (+).
"Operating surplus" is net (revenue-expenses), without debt charges (think of it as your monthly budget without the credit card interest - if any).
Net public debt is as described.
A positive operating surplus means a government pulled in more revenue than it budgeted to spend, without considering debt charges. A government that recorded a positive operating surplus can claim to have balanced the budget, but that is like claiming you have a balanced budget while ignoring the interest on your credit card.
Year (ending 31 March) Surplus Operating Surplus Gross Debt Charges Net Public Debt
[25 June 1968: Liberal majority, Trudeau]
1970-71 -1,016 871 1,887 20,293
1971-72 -1,786 324 2,110 22,079
[30 October 1972: Liberal minority with NDP support, Trudeau]
1972-73 -1,901 399 2,300 23,980
1973-74 -2,211 354 2,565 26,191
[08 July 1974: Liberal majority, Trudeau]
1974-75 -2,225 1,013 3,238 28,416
1975-76 -6,205 -2,235 3,970 34,620
1976-77 -6,896 -2,188 4,708 41,517
1977-78 -10,879 -5,348 5,531 52,396
1978-79 -13,029 -6,005 7,024 65,425
[22 May 1979: Conservative minority, Clark]
[18 February 1980: Liberal majority, Trudeau]
1979-80 -11,967 -3,473 8,494 77,392
1980-81 -14,556 -3,898 10,658 91,948
1981-82 -15,674 -560 15,114 107,622
1982-83 -29,049 -12,146 16,903 136,671
1983-84 -32,877 -14,800 18,077 169,549
[04 September 1984: Conservative majority, Mulroney]
1984-85 -38,437 -16,044 22,393 207,986
1985-86 -34,595 -9,173 25,422 242,581
1986-87 -30,742 -4,074 26,668 273,323
1987-88 -27,794 1,159 28,953 301,117
[21 November 1988: Conservative majority, Mulroney]
1988-89 -28,773 4,379 33,152 329,890
1989-90 -28,930 9,859 38,789 358,820
1990-91 -32,000 10,588 42,588 390,820
1991-92 -34,357 6,817 41,174 425,177
1992-93 -41,021 -2,196 38,825 466,198
[25 October 1993: Liberal majority, Chretien]
1993-94 -42,012 -4,030 37,982 508,210
1994-95 -37,462 4,584 42,046 545,672
1995-96 -28,617 18,288 46,905 574,289
1996-97 -8,897 36,076 44,973 583,186
[02 June 1997: Liberal majority, Chretien]
1997-98 3,478 44,409 40,931 579,708
1998-99 2,884 44,278 41,394 576,824
1999-00 0 44,500 41,500 576,800
[27 November 2000: Liberal majority, Chretien]
2000-01 0 46,000 42,000 576,800
2001-02 0 46,500 41,500 576,800
Things to note in the period covered:
1) Trudeau governments never gripped the deficit (although the early 70's saw balanced operating budgets) and went on a spending spree from 1975 onward.
2) Mulroney governments gripped the operating budget quickly, but the public debt had already ballooned to a point where, combined with high interest rates, debt charges created a deficit.
3) Chretien governments were able, with dramatic spending cuts and lower interest rates, to eliminate the deficit.