Residents of Canadian cities constantly hear rumours of shady dealings between municipal politicians and developers. The only way to prevent against this is to remove politicians from day to day operations – just like the City of Phoenix, Arizona, has done.
Municipal Government
Another Case of Municipal Corruption Highlights Need for Separation Between Council and City Administration
Today I had an article in the Huffington Post on how the City of Phoenix bars municipal politicians from getting directly involved in city operations to reduce the prospects for shading dealings with developers. I mentioned recent cases in Winnipeg and Toronto that may or may not have involved wrong doing. Sure enough, today’s National Post has an article about a Montreal corruption inquiry, in which a powerful Montreal politician has been accused of taking $300,000 in bribes.
Evaluating the McGuinty Legacy: The Good and the Bad
Dalton McGuinty has had as much of an impact on public policy in Ontario as virtually any of his predecessors. This article summarizes the best and the worst decisions he made as premier.
New Regina Mayor
As the polls predicted, last night Michael Fougere was elected Regina's new mayor. Largely seen as the "status quo" candidate, and endorsed by the outgoing and long-serving mayor Pat Fiacco, Fougere had described the election as a referendum on the previous councils...
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy!
COVID-19 Emergency Powers Nearly Limitless
The war against the invisible enemy of COVID-19 has unfortunately made normal rights and freedoms invisible as well. Another example manifested on September 13 when Saskatchewan’s premier renewed emergency orders for his province. The list of powers he claimed were so...
The Unexamined Beast of Local Government
Paying local government the attention it deserves.
Media Release: Short-term Costs for Long-term Finality
First Nations and Canadian taxpayers need a new expedited approach that prioritizes specific land claims and moves towards a final filing deadline.
The 2008 Local Government Performance Index – Quebec Regional Report
Cities are listed in alphabetical order: Montreal
The 2008 Local Government Performance Index – BC Regional Report
Cities are listed in alphabetical order: Abbotsford Burnaby Chilliwack Coquitlam Delta Kamloops Kelowna Langley Maple Ridge Nanaimo New Westminster North Vancouver Port Coquitlam Prince George Richmond Saanich Surrey Vancouver...
The 2008 Local Government Performance Index – Atlantic Canada Regional Report
Cities are listed in alphabetical order: Newfoundland: St. John's Nova Scotia: Halifax New Brunswick: Frederickton Moncton Saint John
The 2008 Local Government Performance Index – Prairies Regional Report
Cities are listed in alphabetical order: Alberta: Calgary Edmonton Grande Prairie Lethbridge Medicine Hat Red Deer St. Albert Strathcona County Wood Buffalo Saskatchewan: Regina Saskatoon Manitoba: WinnipegView entire Prairie edition in PDF Format (55...
The 2008 Local Government Performance Index – Ontario Regional Report
Cities are listed in alphabetical order: Ajax Aurora Barrie Belleville Brampton Brantford Burlington Caledon Cambridge Chatham-Kent Clarington Cornwall Greater Sudbury Guelph Halton Hills Hamilton Kawartha Lakes Kingston Kitchener London Markham Milton...
Learning from New Zealand: De-Politicizing Water Service Delivery
Left within municipalities, water will remain just a staid, old departmental activity with little emphasis being given to its special place in the lives of city citizens.
Voters Need to Nix the Narcissism Already
Voter turnout in the recent federal election might have been low, but the excuses for not voting fail the test of adulthood, which is supposed to be about recognizing limits, thinking beyond the crib, and taking responsibility.