CALGARY – Alberta's economy was hit by a rare combination of negative factors, but recovery is on the horizon, according to a new report from Canada West Foundation.
- Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd, Columnist, Troy Media Corporation
The next set of political challenges will be simple: which political party can reduce public expenditure and reduce the role of government while doing the least damage to education, health and services to the elderly?
Mark Milke, Research Director, Frontier Centre for Public Policy
For those who believe in a deity, it's overdue to petition the heavens for a favour: Dear God, send the political class home for summer early lest they "stimulate" anything more, put us into additional debt, and do more damage to our finances, language and to clear-headedness.
-Terry Field, Chair, Journalism Program, Mount Royal College
Some of the country's largest businesses - its television networks - are involved in a highly public email petition campaign to save local television. Or so they claim.
Mark Milke, Research Director, Frontier Centre for Public Policy
In the bizarre new world created by Ottawa and Washington D. C., healthy companies - hello Ford, Toyota and other non-troubled automakers and their employees - are punished due to General Motors and Chrysler; the latter gave away the farm on pay, pensions and health benefits and, apparently, have employees and retirees who expect others to pay for such profligacy, as if there exists a right to the paycheques of others.
- Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd, Columnist, Troy Media Corporation
We have a strange attitude towards homelessness. We are all clearly against it and think that something must be done, but rarely do anything ourselves.
-Ben Eisen, Policy Analyst, Frontier Centre for Public Policy
The Canadian health care system is opaque, unconcerned with patient satisfaction and, of course, has lengthy waiting times for medical services as a defining feature. Canadians are aware of these problems but many accept them as the unfortunate but inevitable consequence of universal coverage; that's because they believe our model is better than what many posit as the only alternative, a supposedly wholly private American-style system which leaves millions uninsured and without access to quality care.
- Rebecca Walberg, Manitoba Columnist, Troy Media Corporation
While a study released last month by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) correctly identifies a number of administrative problems involved in drug monitoring, arguing that Canada allows new drugs onto the market too soon, its emphasis on the hazards associated with innovative drugs leads it to advocate for an unduly restrictive approach to pharmaceuticals.
- Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd, Columnist, Troy Media Corporation
The whole of Europe will be going to the polls between June 4 and 7, 2009. To be more accurate, of course, 40% will.
- Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd, Columnist, Troy Media Corporation
The two major political parties in Britain are reeling from a public backlash caused by a scandal over expense claims by elected members of parliament. Included among the claims are expenses for digging out a moat, refurbishing chandeliers and reimbursing mortgage payments that had never been made.
-Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd, Columnist, Troy Media Corporation
Let's take a look into the future of Canada, Britain and the US through the prism of their indebtedness.
- Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd, Columnist, Troy Media Corporation
US President Barack Obama's cap and trade proposal is in trouble with Democrats in Congress
Dan Shapiro, Research Associate, Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership
First they came for the journalists. Then they came for the teachers. Who's next? Let's hope it's the people responsible for Bill 44 because the Alberta government's proposed changes to human rights legislation make matters worse, not better.
- Jacques Marcil, Senior Economist, Canada West Foundation
It won't be easy. But somehow, Canadians will have to get used to being led by a new and unassuming economic champion: Saskatchewan.
By Roslyn Kunin, Director of the BC office, Canada West Foundation
Canada's economy is about to make another dramatic shift, this time away from the major metropolitan centres to medium, smaller and rural areas as resource and demographic shifts become more important to the country's economic well-being.
Doug Firby, Columnist, Troy Media Corporation
Spiralling health care costs are the bane of every provincial government. And, as Alberta is learning for the second time this decade, taking bold action to bring those costs to heel is only guaranteed to deliver political grief.
- Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd, Columnist, Troy Media Corporation
Canada's National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy has proposed that Canada adopt a national climate change strategy and that it use a national cap and trade as the cornerstone of this strategy, doing away with a patchwork quilt of provincial regulations and law.
- Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd, Columnist, Troy Media Corporation
LONDON – The British government budget is evidence that Britain is in real financial trouble.
By Terry Field, Chair, Journalism Program, Mount Royal College
There is little doubt that the future of the newspaper that comes to the door in the mornings is limited. There's been ample evidence of that recently, including widely reported closures (Rocky Mountain News), and the elimination or reduction of print editions (Seattle Post-Intelligencer,Christian Science Monitor).
