Australia’s State cabinet decided to speed up the release of residential land after receiving what one Government insider dubbed a “big wake-up call” about the extent of Melbourne’s population boom. Premier John Brumby will announce today that all available land within Melbourne’s urban growth boundary will be zoned residential — one of the biggest land releases in the city’s history — in a bid to give more young families and first-time buyers the chance to get into the property market.
Agriculture
Larry Martin
“A whole bunch of places that have ethanol plants are finding that their water tables are falling. It’s based on corn in the U.S. and there’s a growing dead zone at the mouth of the Mississippi River in the Gulf of Mexico because of the nutrients and chemicals that are washed down the Mississippi River from the run-off.”
Is Grain-based Ethanol an Appropriate Policy for Canada?
PowerPoint slides from Larry Martin speech on ethanol as good policy in Canada.
Lunch on the Frontier – Ethanol Policy in Canada – With Larry Martin
Listen to Larry Martin speak at Lunch on the Frontier on ethanol energy policy in Canada here. (39 minutes)
Featured News
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...
Pesticides and Pumpkinheads
Has objectivity been replaced by anti-pesticide bias?
Pelletized Biofuels – A Manitoba Opportunity
A discussion of pelletized biofuels using natural grasses suggests a great opportunity for Manitoba, which is the lowest cost producer in North America.
Transgenic Crops Benefit Environment
Transgenic crops confer overwhelming environmental benefits on modern agriculture.
Neepawa’s Loss Everyone’s Loss
The loss of the Neepawa hog processing facility has important lessons for rural residents.
Mad Cow’s Circle within Circles
The crisis in Canada’s beef industry will require finesse, diplomacy and a fundamental re-thinking of our relationship with the United States.
Europe Wants to Subsidize Rural Landscapes
The European Union is proposing that farm production subsidies be directed towards conserving rural landscapes and promoting rural development.
Farm Organizations Need to Rethink their Roles
Rural interests need to coalesce around a set of common objectives to promote the rural economy
BSE Threatens Manitoba’s Economy
Mad cow disease threatens the rural economy.
On the Election Trail
Political parties in Manitoba’s 2003 election are offering Manitobans some clear policy alternatives.