The Looming Eco-Extremist Threat And Why We Must Stop Ignoring It
Backgrounder
Twelve Years Of Labour In Alberta: A Tale Of Three Political Eras
Backgrounder
Manitoba’s Larger Public Sector
Manitoba public sector still much larger than Canadian average
One U.S. Court Battle Could Reshape The North American Energy Economy
“If every locality traversed by an existing or proposed pipeline project were empowered to enact similar ordinances to prevent the operation of that pipeline through its boundaries, pipeline commerce could come to a halt.” – Lawyers for the Portland pipeline operator
Featured News
Weaponizing the Law
The indictment of former U.S. president Donald Trump for crimes invented by his political opponents is the most egregious example yet seen of the weaponizing of the law. The United States is now full of examples. However, in Canada, we also see the law being...
“Looking At” Seizing Control Over Western Canada’s Natural Resources
OTTAWA, REGINA - Last week, two things happened that could have profound impacts on natural resources development in Saskatchewan. One is a hint the federal government might want to take control of natural resources away from the provinces, and the other is the...
Treaty Annuity Right
Autonomy for individuals and families was built into traditional Indigenous governance structures, and explicitly built into the historical treaties through an annuity payable directly to every man, woman and child in bands signing the treaties. However, since the...
Distributing the Risk: Mortgage Default Insurance
Mortgage Default Insurance (MDI) is mandatory in Canada for residential purchases where the purchaser’s down payment is between 5% and 19.99%.[i] Most MDI premiums fall in the range between 2.4% to 6.6% of the mortgage amount. The idea behind MDI is to increase the...
No Lands or Property… Shall Be Liable to Taxation
Section 125 of the Constitution Act, 1867, states: “No Lands or Property belonging to Canada or any Province shall be liable to Taxation.”1 This constitutional protection is at the center of many long standing arguments between the federal government and...
A New Model to Implement Next Generation Telecom for Rural and Remote Saskatchewan
The challenge of getting modern telecommunications infrastructure to rural and remote regions is global. Many countries have programs to address this challenge. There is a World Rural Telecoms Congress and an association in the United States, NTCA—The...
The Role of the CBC
Technological change is challenging traditional broadcasters, including the CBC. The status quo just will not fly. It is always difficult to start talking about changes to the CBC because of the political dynamic around the institution. In this case, technology is...
The Cost Disease Infects Public Education Across Canada
Executive Summary • Professor William Baumol coined the term “the cost disease” to indicate that the cost of consumer products has increased at the rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), while the cost of education and health care have increased at an exponential...
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...
Tapping Into Our Potential: Occupational Freedom and Aboriginal Workers
Executive Summary Obsolete protectionist regulations are the reason Canadian employers are unable to employ more workers in the skilled trades, particularly Aboriginal workers. Canadian employers report difficulty in finding enough skilled workers and labour shortages...
Finding Strength from Within: How Voluntary Outside Accreditation can Advance First Nation Communities
Executive Summary • The Idle No More movement was motivated to a certain degree by opposition to imposed change. • First Nations have historically opposed imposed solutions. First Nations require a new approach. • Some of the most successful initiatives that benefit...