In his 1776 seminal work, The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith wrote: “It always is and must be the interest of the great body of the people to buy whatever they want of those who sell it cheapest. The proposition is so very manifest that it seems ridiculous to take any...
Our prime minister said he would never reinstate the gun registry, nor would any Canadian government disarm the people. His legislative track record says otherwise. On September 22, 2010, our prime minister, who was then an MP, voted against a private member’s bill to...
The phrase “Build Back Better” has drawn ire globally after Western politicians seemingly relished the damaging impact of COVID-19 lockdown policies and the opportunity it offered to radically change our economies. Extremist, insensitive and ill-timed policy...
Who decided the nearly uniform messages we hear on the pandemic and what to do about it? Our politicians defer to doctors who, in turn, look to the World Health Organization (WHO). When we realize who pays the WHO, the senselessness makes sense. Leave it to the...
Years ago, I was given a great opportunity to be the lead reporter and do the editing work for a national Indigenous newspaper based in Winnipeg. It was called the Drum/First Perspective newspaper and it covered Indigenous news in Manitoba and around Canada. The paper...
Last month, the Ontario government announced a new elementary math curriculum. The province will return to a “back to basics” approach aimed at improving standardized test scores, and will also introduce lessons on financial literacy and coding. Whether these changes...
Education costs are skyrocketing across the north, and there is little evidence that the increased spending has produced better outcomes for students. Policy reforms are needed to bring more consumer choice and competition into education. William Baumol,...
Taxpayers have good reasons to be concerned about the skyrocketing costs of education. Recently, William Baumol, professor emeritus of economics at Princeton University, used the term “cost disease“ to describe the exponential increase in the cost of social services—a...
Taxpayers have good reasons to be concerned about the skyrocketing costs of education. Recently, William Baumol, professor emeritus of economics at Princeton University, used the term “cost disease“ to describe the exponential increase in the cost of social services—a...
If you hoped for a balanced budget or a serious break on your taxes in the March 6 budget, you were disappointed. As to the budget itself, the government's increasing reliance on Crown corporations to pay its bills, along with its methods of reporting and accounting,...
In a March 6 article, Kevin McGwin rightly noted that “Arctic leaders have expressed their outrage over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but when it comes to the region’s issues it is still co-operation as usual”. Russia’s behaviour in Ukraine has been met with...
The City of Regina recently informed a number of property owners about upcoming multi-million dollar renovations that are planned for their streets. The Council plans to conduct these renovations via 'cost-sharing local improvement programs' that will require the...
Is it still possible to hold future electricity rate increases to the rate of inflation? Following nine years of rate increases well above the rate of inflation, Manitoba Hydro's $30-billion plus plan includes increasing electricity rates by four per cent every year...
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)...
“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...