Troy Media

Coalition games fuel the fires of western separatism

- Doug Firby, Alberta Columnist, Troy Media Corporation Jean Charest’s moderate right party has held onto power in Quebec.Stéphane Dion has decided to end his personal torment as the much-mocked Liberal prime minister-in-waiting. The coalition of the unwilling is on hold, if not on the rocks – while Liberal king-makers have anointed Moses Ignatieff to lead them out of the wilderness.

Canada’s current healthcare funding model not sustainable

By Rebecca Walberg Director of Health Policy Frontier Centre for Public Policy Since the embrace of New Public Management in the 1980s in the public sectors of Canada, the US, Australia and the UK, the mantra of leaders throughout government has been “more with less.” A generation of government has attempted to reduce public spending, or at least to slow its growth, while providing excellent and increasingly accessible public services. In Canada, healthcare administration is the glaring exception to this trend.

Opportunity for Senate elections still exists

For the past three years the Prime Minister has offered democracy to the Provinces and Territories of Canada through an historic but time limited opportunity. Unfortunately the Provinces were slow to react and failed to recognize that, at some point in time, the offer would expire.

Taxpayers should spurn auto-bailout pleas

- Gwyn Morgan, Director, Manning Centre for Building Democracy Baby boomers here in London must be experiencing déjà vu. Four decades ago, auto giant British Leyland was desperately seeking government funds to stave off bankruptcy and prevent the layoff of thousands of highly paid unionized workers. After burning through today's equivalent of over $16-billion (U.S.) in taxpayers' money, the firm eventually disappeared, relegating iconic cars like the Triumph to collectors' items. Last Tuesday, British auto makers implored Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to give them state aid to help them through "unprecedented circumstances."

Manitoba economy in Sweet Spot

The Canada West Foundation has released its latest economic profile and forecast for Manitoba. Entitled Well-Balanced, the report argues that Manitoba is in a good position to weather the current economic storm and grow faster than the Canadian average. The Canada West Foundation is forecasting that Manitoba’s real GDP growth will be 2.3% for 2008 and 2.0% for 2009.

Another election isn’t much more costly than continued party subsidies

- Mark Milke, Director of Research, Frontier Centre for Public Policy Between 2004 and 2008, Canadians will have spent $290 million on subsidies to federal political parties. If subsidies continue, either because of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s reversal on the matter, or if a Liberal-NDP-Bloc Quebecois coalition takes power, Canadians will pay out another $260 million to parties between 2009 and 2013. That’s almost the price tag on another federal election fight between Ottawa’s warring forces.

De-politicizing water services

- Larry Mitchell, Senior Fellow, Frontier Centre for Public Policy Prairie water was once described by someone obviously familiar with it as “too soft to walk on but too hard to drink.” That quip came to mind recently in witnessing the raging debate over Winnipeg’s water. Some critics find it hard to swallow a plan in which the City of Winnipeg proposes to put all of its water and wastewater operations into a stand-alone utility company.

Governor General should refuse to accept Harper’s resignation

- Dr. Roger Gibbins, President and CEO, Canada West Foundation Governor General Michaelle Jean faces a truly awful choice next Monday: she can call an election that no one wants, or she can bring in an unstable minority government kept in power at the whim of a party dedicated to the destruction of Canada. Fortunately, there is a way out of this box. She can just say no.

50% of Canadians wealth not protected from expropriation

WINNIPEG, MB - In a review of the wealth and property in Canada, a new report from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy notes that over 50% of the personal wealth held by Canadians is held in real estate. The report, authored by Ottawa-based consultant Stephanie Farrington, notes that much of that personal property wealth is based primarily, but not exclusively, in home ownership.

A Celtic Tiger is caged: Lessons for western Canada

- Todd Hirsch, Senior Economist, ATB Financial For the better part of this decade, Ireland has been held up as the shining example of how to harness the forces of globalization. It was dubbed the Celtic Tiger, rising from little more than a sad potato farm to a fiercely competitive centre for software, pharmaceuticals, and high-tech research.

The Conservatives: Canada’s next natural governing party?

- Doug Firby, Columnist The unsettling quiet that descended over the Conservative crowd assembled at the Telus Convention Centre on election night told the story that most Tories refused to openly admit – a majority government was within reach and they blew it.

Free speech won, but what about ethics?

By Stephen Ward, James E. Burgess Professor of Journalism Ethics, University of Wisconsin-Madison Advocates of free press in Canada have reasons to cheer. Several recent complaints to human rights tribunals against journalists have failed.

A little nugget shines in the heart of oil town

- Doug Firby CALGARY, AB, October 30, 2008/Troy Media/ -- John Morgan’s modest office is just a few blocks from the heart of Calgary’s business establishment – the Petroleum Club, a place where, for decades, oil barons have cut deals and hatched plans over single-malt Scotch and cigars.

Time to invest in our politicians

Preston Manning, President and CEO, Manning Centre for Building Democracy Many Canadians profess to being more attracted to the U.S. presidential election campaign than to their own federal election. Why is that, and what can be done to restore politics to first place in our political allegiance?

Arctic environmental protection a challenge for us all

Preston Manning, President and CEO, Manning Centre for Building Democracy On Sept. 2, 1972, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau dropped the puck to launch an eight-game hockey showdown between Canada and the Soviet Union. But Team Canada won only one of the first three games, then was booed off the ice after losing the fourth in Vancouver.

Prairie Atoms: Expanding nuclear power in Alberta and Saskatchewan

The Canada West Foundation today released a paper examining how Alberta and Saskatchewan can take advantage of the nuclear revival that is sweeping the globe. Prairie Atoms: The Opportunities and Challenges of Nuclear Power in Alberta and Saskatchewan outlines both the opportunities and challenges of expanding the value-added nuclear industry and the use of nuclear energy as a source of electricity. The paper also recommends ways to improve public policy as it relates to Canada’s untapped nuclear capacity.

Reinventing Canada’s political circus

By Preston Manning, President and CEO, Manning Centre for Building Democracy The North American circus market once looked much like the political marketplace in Canada today. It featured two dominant players, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey (they later merged), plus some smaller regional circuses, all engaged in cutthroat competition. Each offered declining numbers of customers variations on traditional circus features – slapstick humour (clowns), danger and thrills (animals and acrobats), a few star performers, and “circus” food – all offered in the traditional venue of three rings in a tent at a low price relative to other entertainment options.

Search for water led to first oil well in Canada - in Ontario

By Greg Gazin If you had asked me two weeks ago which province was the birthplace of the Canadian oil industry, I probably would have said Alberta, back in 1947, but I would have been very wrong. The birthplace of the Canadian oil is actually in Ontario, and it occurred 150 years ago, in 1858. Canada, in fact, may have the best claim to being the first country in the world with the ability to supply crude oil to a substantial refining industry.