Canada’s economy is slowing, Manitobans are being buffeted by dramatic interest rate hikes and are worried about impacts on the economy and employment. Policy makers hope that higher interest rates will reduce Canada’s high inflation rate as people respond to higher...
Unsurprisingly, with a government automobile insurance monopoly, MPI’s history is marked by politics
Manitobans interested in politics, economics, indigenous and/or environment issues should read a new book, “In Our Backyard, Keeyask and the Legacy of Hydro Development”. After digesting the information and messages provided by this worthy work, you might find...
Before a NDP government and it’s politically appointed Manitoba Hydro board faded out after the Pallister Conservatives won in 2016, it was generally accepted by all political parties, and the media, that Hydro’s then ultra-low electricity rates were “Manitoba’s...
A Snapshot of Property Rights Protection in Canada After 10 years
The writ has been dropped and Albertans are off to the polls on May 29. That leaves just four weeks for political leaders and voters to sort out what is arguably the most divisive, yet significant, issue for this election - health care. On Day 2, NDP leader Rachel...
This is far from the best time for most Manitobans. Covid-19 has poisoned the prairie province’s economy, the finances of the government, education, healthcare, small businesses and more. The reining party is on the ropes in a difficult environment that favours an...
With the completion of the Limestone Dam in 1990, with its large and low-cost generation capacity, the future outlook for meeting Manitoba’s electricity needs at low cost looked very positive. But, thirty years later, instead of Manitoba Hydro’s finances strong and...
Manitoba shows no sign that its policies will be able to maintain the working population, while, over time, returning to annual balanced budgets and cutting taxes to keep the private sector that is here now. This dismal prediction is partially drawn by observing the...
Brian Pallister likely knows that his time as Premier of Manitoba, now still leading a solid majority government, is coming to an end. Fortunately for Pallister, his party and Manitoba, if he retires soon, by bringing in a new PC leader he could be remembered for...
Circa 1915 Winnipeg was frequently described as a second Chicago, a serious transportation hub with a bustling private economy. In 1921 it was the third-largest city in Canada. In the 1960s Winnipeg was western Canada’s corporate headquarters city. Today Winnipeg is...
Spring has finally arrived and the scourge of COVID-19 is slowly being beaten back. Manitoba’s economy was in trouble before COVID-19 and the last 15 months have weakened it even more. Before COVID-19, the province’s economic weakness could be attributed to its...
Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall’s report on Hydro’s Keeyask dam and Bipole III transmission line expansion is a damning verdict on Manitoba Hydro’s past boards and executives and Manitoba’s NDP and PC governments. While Wall’s public criticism concentrates on...
Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is in the process of updating its computer programs and associated practices. Through an estimated multi-million dollar effort, MPI plans to provide its customers with online services. With MPI’s long-needed revamped technology,...
For a public sector workforce expecting to retire with a good pension, the “health” of their defined contribution pension plans are dependent on both the market and the actions of the provincial government. Recently, Pallister’s government seems to be stalling on...