The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in a report released with its latest World Financial Stability study, critiqued Italy, chiding the perennial underperformer for its famously large, unaffordable and growth-stifling public sector. Why this matters to anyone...
Year: 2017
Immigration continues to be a huge issue for Canada, and an expert in the field says it's one of the areas where Justin Trudeau does NOT compare favourably with his legendary father. Randy Boldt is a licensed immigration consultant who has helped to shape policy on...
Branding the Culture Wars
Once they were big. Really big. Kings of Hollywood, producers of movies that were nominated for over 300 Oscars. But when their founder was outed as the captain of the American free-style groping team, the Weinstein Company’s name became toxic: board members resigned,...
Change Is Hard In Education
Finally, after enduring years of fuzzy math, Saskatchewan parents may finally have cause for hope. Not only did the provincial government’s latest throne speech acknowledge that Saskatchewan students have the worst math skills in the country, the speech pledged to...
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Why University?
In this essay, I explain that young people should come to university to be educated, and not to become credentialed; the public should support universities because universities educate young people, not because they produce credentialled workers. Why should a...
A Lamentable Tale of Two Colonies
During the whole of recorded history, the empire has been the most constant and common form of political organization. A basic, self-evident feature of all empire-building has been the successful occupation of the lands of the local, Indigenous inhabitants by outside...
A Diamond of an Opportunity For Northern Manitoba
In early March, the Manitoba Geological Survey and its industry partner, Lynx Consortium, made an important diamond discovery southeast of Thompson. While there is no guarantee the find will lead to a significant mining project, the province should move quickly to...
Dispersed Cities: Starting the 3rd Decade
Cities (urban areas or settlements) have been around for millennia. Over that time, cities have changed in form and function. But the way that people move around the city has materially changed only twice. Walking was predominant until less than 200 years ago, then...
A Wrongly Placed National Park that will Cost First Nations Jobs
Why is the federal government planning to create a national park on top of potentially lucrative nickel ore deposits? It is a question local indigenous communities in Northern Manitoba that stand to benefit from mineral development are asking. The Manitoba Lowlands...
A Valuation of the Centra Gas Division of Manitoba Hydro
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy today released A Valuation of the Centra Gas Division of Manitoba Hydro authored by Ian Madsen. Fifteen years ago, Centra Gas was a private, investor-owned company. However, since then it has been a division of the Crown...
Welcome to the National Energy Program Version 2.0
Donald Trump’s removal of the United States from the Paris Accord on Climate Change has major economic implications for Canada. Our major trading partner will enjoy lower energy costs going forward - putting Canada at a growing disadvantage as a location for...
Exiting the Mad Hatter’s Climate Tea Party
Trump was 100% right (not just 97%) to show real leadership and walk away from Paris. I can guess why a raven is like a writing-desk, Alice said. “Do you mean you think you can find out the answer?” said the March Hare. “Exactly so,” said Alice. “Then you should say...
The Cultural Appropriation Controversy
The controversy surrounding “cultural appropriation” has received a huge amount of media attention. The newspapers are full of it, and CBC has seemingly endless panel discussions on the subject. Good people have lost their jobs, and abject apologies have been issued...
Selling 49% of SaskTel is Not Enough
In recent weeks, the Brad Wall government in Saskatchewan has advanced Bill 40, which would allow for the sale of up to 49% of any Crown corporation presently owned by Regina. While there has been predictable criticism and opposition from those who believe that...
Balancing Elephants: Saskatchewan’s Return on Investment – SASKFERCO
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has just released Balancing Elephants: Saskatchewan’s Return on Investment - SASKFERCO. The 1980’s brought in some of the worst economic times Saskatchewan had ever had. It was a time of many systemic changes, political...