The Winnipeg Police Service operational review is making a lot of noise, but the biggest news is what’s not in the report. While the report did get into issues such as the WPS not taking full advantage of its CrimeStat software for tracking and predicting where crime...
Municipal Government
Understanding Public Private Partnerships
On Sept 25th, residents of Regina will vote in a referendum for the first time in more than 20 years.
The referendum, organized by unions, will decide whether the council is allowed to proceed with its unanimous decision to construct a new wastewater treatment plant via a Public Private Partnership [P3], or whether they will be forced to use a traditional construction method.
Last week, the Frontier Centre for Public Policy held an event in Regina aimed at raising awareness in the community about Public Private Partnerships and how they work.
The sold-out event was opened by the Honourable Don McMorris, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Highways and Infrastructure, who gave us an overview of the province’s plans for a large number of new P3s that will go ahead regardless of the result of the city vote.
Understanding Public-Private Partnerships in Infrastructure (Gilroy)
PowerPoint Slides for Leonard Gilroy’s Event.
Why Municipal Politicians Shouldn’t “Climb the Ladder”
Two sitting Toronto city council members are facing off against each other in Thursday’s Ontario by-election, and a former councilor is running in another riding. Each is representing a different party. While this may seem banal, it is highly problematic.
Featured News
Leon Fontaine – A Passionate Canadian Thought Leader – RIP
This past weekend, we learned of the tragic and unexpected passing of Pastor Leon Fontaine at 59 years of age. Leon was a gifted leader playing many roles both nationally and internationally. He was, with his wife Sally, the senior Pastors at Springs Church with...
Public Inquiries and Public Trust
Testimony before the Public Order Emergency Commission reveals the case for government invoking the Emergencies Act is either weak or very weak. The Prime Minister was, in fact, opposed to members of his cabinet or senior public health officials meeting with protest...
Preserving Buildings – Sorry State of Affairs
Why the FP does not ask the much larger question of why the government is the dominant tenant in downtown Winnipeg
Where Did All Alberta’s Money Go?: The left and right think they know
Partisan political operators are battling to define the debate over one of the most explosive issues in the coming provincial election: Why can’t a wealthy province like Alberta make ends meet?
Value of Municipal Elected Officials
If one pays an idiot’s salary, one gets an idiot worker.
Manitoba PC Political Commentary
To me, the message that has to be learned by the PC brain trust is that they have to offer an option for people to vote for instead of voting against.
It’s not easy to defeat Leviathan
It is not easy to trim back outgrowths of the state beast.
Council Tackles Shortage of Taxis: Major overhaul aims to ease difficulty getting late-night ride
City hall is contemplating a major overhaul of late-night cab and public transit service in Calgary, as holiday revellers com-plain they are being squeezed by a “perfect storm” of travel hindrances.
Common Sense in Municipal Budgets
One of the presenters in the Toronto municipal budget consultations came up with well reasoned, solid advice.
Citizens Can’t Wait for Transparency
According to Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claude Williams, “There is no fixed timeline for municipalities to be brought under the Right to Information and Access to Privacy Act.” Apparently the provincial government has been consulting with municipalities about an appropriate timeline.
Saskatchewan NDP Needs to Reclaim Its Legacy to Regain Power
The Saskatchewan NDP suffered a humiliating defeat in the recent election. This defeat was all but inevitable, given the state of the economy. In order to minimize losses, the NDP ran to the left in order to ensure that their most ideological supporters would show up to vote. The tactic appears to have backfired. The party needs to move back to the center, and present a fiscally responsible agenda as it did during Roy Romanow’s tenure. Otherwise, the party faces the prospect of permanent opposition status.