Republished from the West Island Gazette. So, how free do you think you are? To be honest, I’ve been feeling pretty free, as freedom goes, over the last bit of time. My kids are almost out of the basement and in interesting jobs. I can almost stop worrying about them....
Year: 2014
Provinces With More Freedom Attract More Residents
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has released its first Canadian Freedom Index. It examines the state of personal, fiscal, and regulatory freedoms in all ten Canadian provinces, and it considers how provincial laws and regulations are affecting our daily lives....
Ottawa Should Introduce Native Property Law
The post-Shawn Atleo Aboriginal landscape is a perfect opportunity for Ottawa to embark on some bold new First Nations policy. Finally introducing a First Nations Property Ownership Act would certainly count as a bold move. In 2011, the federal government announced...
All Treaties Aren’t Created Equal
Originally appeared in the Winnipeg Sun. Does the type of First Nation treaty negotiated with the federal government make a difference? Is there any advantage in signing a modern treaty today as opposed to having a historic Numbered Treaty, as in the case of Manitoba?...
Featured News
Time to Stop Lockdowns, Vaccine Mandates and Crushing Our Charter of Rights
If one was to discuss the state of the world’s democracies in September of 2019, it would look entirely different than it does today in 2022. Three years ago, Canadians generally thought that: our democracy was relatively strong and citizens would defend their...
Propaganda Rules the World
One of the greatest books that explain how the world works is Propaganda by Edward Bernays. The man dubbed “the father of public relations” applied the psychological ideas of his uncle Sigmund Freud upon the masses, triggering their basic motivations to the benefit of...
Moving Atlantic Fisheries Forward
Newfoundland and Labrador announced recently that it would relinquish minimum processing requirements (MPR) on fish and seafood exports to Europe, clearing way for the province to reap the benefits of freer trade. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)...
Reforming Atlantic Fisheries: Lessons from Iceland
The collapse and subsequent moratorium on Atlantic cod has had profound economic, political, and sociological consequences in Atlantic Canada. Following the 1992 moratorium, the federal government transferred billions of dollars to Atlantic fishers to compensate for...
Everything is changing – except failed education fads
“Everything is changing.” So states the two-minute promotional video on the Alberta government’s Inspiring Education website. It describes the need to “prepare Alberta’s students for this unknown and unknowable future” and notes that “we cannot predict what work will...
Spinning Electicity Export Sales
Premier Greg Selinger has announced more future export sales of Manitoba Hydro's electricity to American utilities. His spin reminds me of the old adage: When something seems too good to be true, watch out! With his latest announcement, the line between the NDP...
Canada has a diplomatic role to play in Ukraine
The Canadian government has taken a hard-line stance against Russian aggression in Ukraine. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, in fact, has vowed to work with other western allies to take any measures necessary to curb Russia, short of deploying military forces of...
Heated Sidewalks are an Option for Some Canadian Neighbourhoods
Snow presents many logistical challenges for Canadian cities. Street parking is difficult; snow plows exacerbate traffic congestion; excessive snow needs to be trucked out of the core; and melting snow turns streets and neighbourhoods into swamps. These challenges are...
British Columbians Should Note Success Stories of Offshore Oil Development
For more than 40 years, the government has prohibited offshore oil exploration in BC. Other regions have benefitted enormously by allowing and encouraging such development. Newfoundland and Labrador has gone from being a “have-not” to a prosperous province, thanks in...
Fiscal Imbalance in Canada: A Look at the Opportunity Costs of Equalization
Executive Summary Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia taxpayers have faced a long-standing fiscal gap between the federal transfers they receive and the transfers they deserve based on their share of federal revenue. The gap between the winners and losers of...
Frontier Centre Releases Fiscal Imbalance in Canada: A Look at the Opportunity Costs of Equalization
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy today released policy series paper Fiscal Imbalance in Canada: A Look at the Opportunity Costs of Equalization. The author, Eric Merkley, is a research associate with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. The report highlights...