The technology landscape consists of giant powerhouses like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and AOL (to name a few) and a veritable plethora of smaller companies ranging in size from one-person start-ups to mid-sized corporations. The one thing that all of these...
Commentary
Alberta Government Ignores, Expensively, the Axiom That Government Should Stay Out of Business
The conservative or free market foundational principle that government should stay out of business was ignored by the United Conservative Party of Alberta and the premier of the provincial government. Their regime ‘invested’ what has come to be revealed as $1.3...
What Is A University Student?
As a result of government and university policies in both the U.S. and Canada, university students are not seen as individuals with records of educational achievement and the potential for both success in higher education and for contributions beyond in the wider...
Defiant Preachers Re-Establish Constitutional Rights
For the defiant act of holding church services despite public health orders, Alberta pastors James Coates, Tim Stephens and Art Pawlowski were arrested and jailed. Some, including those within the faith, think the pastors should acquiesce to the government edicts....
Featured News
The Abuse of Omnibus Bills
As we are faced with the possibility of a snap election next month, all federal political parties need to limit the use and scope of omnibus bills. Governments of all partisan stripes come into office promising to curb this practice but end up succumbing to them when...
Targeting Violent Crime: The Sequel of Unintended Consequences
Chicago has experienced a disturbing number of homicides, shootings, and overall violence during the past year. Chicago, like several other American cities, is once again experiencing unprecedented levels of violent crimes, shootings, and homicides, matching the...
What to expect from Iran
How low can oil go? For Canadians, the plunging price of oil means direct economic pain in the west, along with rising prices for food and other imports as our dollar drops with it. Those looking for clues about whether 2016 will bring a price recovery have largely...
The electric car is dead, executed by Al Gore and his environmental allies
Gasoline is cheap. Electricity is expensive. Bad environmental policy contributed to both outcomes Have you noticed the modern practice of counting the benefits of environmental policies in “cars-off-the-road” units? When the Tories launched their massive...
Implications of Nimr al-Nimr’s Execution
On New Year’s Day in Al-Ha’ir Prison south of Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian government executed 47 persons whom they declared to be terrorists or heretics. It was the largest mass execution in nearly 40 years. Forty-three were Sunni members of Al-Qaeda...
We can’t ignore the warning signs on U.S. campuses
In 2014, University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds published a provocative book about U.S. universities, The Education Apocalypse: How It Happened and How to Survive It. In view of recent events at Yale, Princeton, Missouri and other campuses, maybe...
Evidence based, open government: That should apply to First Nations finances, too
In his speech to the Assembly of First Nations, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that his government will review the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which requires First Nations to publish audited annual financial statements plus information about the...
Two Climate Conferences in Paris
Paris – There are two climate conferences going on in Paris this month. One, the 21st Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP21) attended by about 40,000 people, and the other, The Paris Climate Challenge 2015, attended by about 40 people. The big...
High time governments embraced the sharing economy
As cities across both Canada and the U.S. continue to stumble their way through issues surrounding the introduction of ride-sharing services such as Uber, it’s clear the ongoing reluctance by municipalities to allow these services is less about ride sharing...
Alberta budget had good news for home buyers
Rising house prices are a significant concern throughout Alberta, especially among first home buyers, many of whom are aspiring young families. There was, however, some good news out of the provincial budget that was announced at the end of October, as the Notley...
Support for UN declaration on native rights may spell trouble for Canada’s resource sector
The new Liberal government says it will implement the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It’s no surprise, as the Liberals campaigned on it. Nonetheless, there is great potential for mischief here because the sweeping language...