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Media Release - The Pipeline Gap

Selling Alberta's oil for $30 less than the benchmark price costs the Canadian economy about $27 billion a year. That's around $75 million a day. The Frontier Centre's pipeline price gap counter shows the loss to the Canadian economy so far this year, based on these figures. The lack of pipeline capacity in North America is a serious problem for the Canadian economy, and needs to be urgently addressed”, says Nick Lazic, Vice President of Exploration with Saskatchewan-based Spectrum Resource Group.


A Costly Gamble with Manitoba’s Future

Manitoba Hydro is preparing for a $33 billion dollar expansion of its infrastructure. But given a record of cost overruns – such as the Wuskwatim Dam, which came in $900 million over budget – the huge program may well end up costing much more than that. Things were very different when the program was put in place just five years ago. Natural gas prices were high, and the Canadian dollar was low. (~2 min.)

Join us weekly across the prairies for our hard hitting policy commentary broadcast across the Goldenwest Radio Network and more - Click here for a list of 17 stations and broadcast times.

Western Canada based public policy think tank, the Frontier Centre has released a study saying the Saskatchewan transportation company should no longer have a monopoly on intercity bus travel in Saskatchewan. Joined by Steve Lafleur, policy analyst with the Frontier Centre. (~15 min.)

~15 min 

June 14, 2013 — Restructuring Saskatchewan’s BusTransportation Subsidy Policy
Manitoba Hydro is preparing for a $33 billion dollar expansion of its infrastructure. But given a record of cost overruns – such as the Wuskwatim Dam, which came in $900 million over budget – the huge program may well end up costing much more than that. Things were very different when the program was put in place just five years ago. Natural gas prices were high, and the Canadian dollar was low. (~2 min.)

~2 min 

June 14, 2013 — A Costly Gamble with Manitoba’s Future
Lost in all the noise about expense spending by Senators, Canada’s parliament is on the verge of passing a private member’s bill which has huge implications for First Nations in this country. Bill C-428 aims to replace parts of the Indian Act, and it has just passed third reading in the House of Commons. (~2 min.)

~2 min 

June 7, 2013 — Historic Bill Aims to Replace Outdated Indian Act
Audio of speech by Graham Lane, retired Chair of the Manitoba Public Utilities Board, Lunch on the Frontier in Winnipeg, June 5, 2013 (1 hour)

~60 min 

June 7, 2013 — Dam-nation: Rolling the Dice on Manitoba’s Future (Graham Lane)
Audio of  Good Governance is Key speech by Chief David Crate from May 29th, 2013 in Winnipeg.

~1 min 

June 4, 2013 — Good Governance is Key (Chief David Crate)
There’s an age old political argument in North America about how much taxes should be paid by the rich. Some commentators argue that inequality would be reduced by raising taxes dramatically for the top one per cent of society. Some would even suggest that it’s time to restore Canada’s tax structure to what it was in the years immediately following World War Two when the top rate was above 70%. (~2 min.)

~2 min 

May 31, 2013 — Steep Tax Hikes For High Income Earners Do More Harm than Good
Let the buyer beware when it comes to “organic” products. More on today’s Frontier Centre commentary. Many Canadians buy organic when they shop for groceries, because they believe that organic products are purer, more nutritious and more sustainable. However, a study by the Frontier Centre found that there is no systematic proof that food which is certified as organic is tastier or more nutritious. (~2 min.)

~2 min 

May 24, 2013 — Canada's Organic Food System is a Nightmare
“Liquor Ban In Effect”—Albertans will start seeing this message again in provincial parks for the upcoming May long weekend. Does the annual prohibition work, or do campers circumvent the ban?

~5 min 

May 24, 2013 — No Alcohol Allowed (Alberta Primetime)
New prescription drugs are constantly being developed to relieve suffering and help us live longer. Unfortunately, little seems to be done by governments to shorten the approval process so that they can get to patients who need them. Recent studies indicate that it often takes more than two years for new medicines to be approved and made available in Canada. (~2 min.)

~2 min 

May 17, 2013 — Improving Access to the Newest Medicines
May 9, 2013 - Listen to Late Night Counsell on CFRA radio, Ottawa, co-hosted by regular host John Counsell and International Climate Science Coalition Executive Director and FCPP advisor Tom Harris (~53 min).

~55 min 

May 17, 2013 — Schizophrenic Government Climate/Energy Policies (CFRA radio, Ottawa)
Audio of Frontier Centre/Friends of Science luncheon speech by Dr. Benny Peiser on Europe's disastrous energy policies from May 14th, 2013 in Calgary. (88 minutes with q and a)

~88 min 

May 16, 2013 — To Heat or Eat: Europe's Climate Policy Fiasco (Benny Peiser)
In Ottawa, a Commons committee is studying Bill S-2, which would correct a longstanding injustice affecting aboriginal women in Canada. It would guarantee that when a married couple living on a reserve divorce, both spouses will receive an equal share of the marital home and other property. This is the law in most Canadian provinces, but it does not apply on native reserves because they fall under federal jurisdiction. (~2 min.)

~2 min 

May 10, 2013 — Government Set to Move on First Nations Equality Law

Latest Publications

Media Release - The Pipeline Gap

— June 19, 2013

A lack of pipeline capacity in North America is costing the Canadian economy billions of dollars each year. In order to draw attention to the significant loss of economic opportunity in the prairies, the Frontier Centre for Public Policy is launching a digital counter on its website to add up the lost dollars.



Fix AFN before Trying to Create Alternative Body

— June 19, 2013

Rather than focus on creating another First Nations political organization, native communities need to resolve existing issues within the Assembly of First Nations.



Manny Jules, Chairman of the First Nations Tax Commission

— June 18, 2013

Frontier's Conversation with Manny Jules, head of the First Nations Tax Commission and former Chief of B.C.'s Kamloops Indian Band on good governance and property rights on First Nations.



The Mad Drive to Subvert Democracy in Toronto

— June 18, 2013

Let me stipulate that I think Toronto’s Rob Ford is a terrible mayor. In fact, while I might not go so far as Richard Florida, who labeled Ford “the worst mayor in the modern history of cities, an avatar for all that is small-bore and destructive of the urban fabric, and the most anti-urban mayor ever to preside over a big city,” I’m willing to say he’s probably in the running for the title.



An Echo?

— June 14, 2013

In Manitoba, the provincially owned electrical utility is planning a massive expansion of its hydroelectric operations, even though its profits from the sale of electric power have fallen dramatically, to the point that Manitoba ratepayers are actually subsidizing the sale of cheap power into the U.S. grid.



Time to End the Tax-and-Incarcerate Approach to Tobacco

— June 13, 2013

The federal government is considering mandatory minimum sentences for the sale of contraband tobacco in an attempt to crack down on black market activity. However, federal taxes are driving Canadians to the black market in the first place. Rather than ramping up policing efforts and costs, the government should reduce taxes to reduce demand for black market tobacco.




Recent Updates


View More Policy Notes

Policy Notes - A One Page Policy Discussion

2013-06-13 – Time to End the Tax-and-Incarcerate Approach to Tobacco

2013-06-06 – Manitoba Hydro's Halcyon Days are Gone

2013-05-29 – Don’t Transfer Airport Ownership Without Compensating Canadians

» View More Policy Notes

View More Frontier Backgrounders

Frontier Backgrounders - Short Analyses

2013-05-30 – The Canadian Air Industry and the Case of Porter Airlines

2013-04-16 – Toward More Prosperous Cities

2013-04-01 – Options for the CBC

» View More Frontier Backgrounders

View More Perspectives

Perspectives - Thoughts from the Advisory Board...

2013-06-18 – The Mad Drive to Subvert Democracy in Toronto

2013-06-06 – Toward a Self Employed Nation?

2013-05-28 – Big Green helps Big Wind hide bird and bat butchery

» View More Perspectives

View More Policy Series

Policy Series - Longer Reports & Studies

2013-06-05 – Dam-Nation

2013-06-04 – Getting More Value for Money

2013-05-14 – The Environmental State of Canada

» View More Policy Series

View More Conversations

Conversations - with Policy Innovators

2013-06-18 – Manny Jules, Chairman of the First Nations Tax Commission

2013-06-06 – Graham Lane, Retired Chair, Manitoba Public Utilities Board

2013-05-23 – Benny Peiser, Director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation

» View More Conversations

View More Special Reports and Publications

Special Reports and Publications

2013-01-21 – 9th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey

2012-06-10 – Transfer Disease?

2012-03-15 – Canadian Senator Promotes Climate Realism in Major Speech

» View More Special Reports and Publications

View More Rural Renaissance Notes

Rural Renaissance Notes

2013-03-25 – Government Must Stand up for Farmers and Commit to Ending Supply Management

2013-01-31 – How would Canadian Prairie Agri-Business deal with a Dalton Minimum Repeat?

2011-11-30 – NDP Stuck in the 1930s on CWB

» View More Rural Renaissance Notes

View More PowerPoint Slides from Events

PowerPoint Slides from Events

2013-06-06 – Dam-nation: Rolling the Dice on Manitoba’s Future (Lane)

2013-05-16 – To Heat or Eat: Europe's Climate Policy Fiasco (Peiser)

2013-05-06 – The Crocus Story - An Insider's Perspective (Dalgliesh)

» View More PowerPoint Slides from Events

View More Aboriginal Voices from Ground Zero

Aboriginal Voices from Ground Zero

2013-06-19 – Fix AFN before Trying to Create Alternative Body

2013-05-28 – A Better System of First Nations Self-Governance

2013-05-01 – Manitoba Has It Right On First Nation Equality

» View More Aboriginal Voices from Ground Zero

View More Worth a Look

Worth a Look - In our Virtual Library...

2013-06-19 – Assets and Liabilities

2013-06-18 – Natives Need Rights to Property

2013-06-06 – Canada’s Political Parties Stand for Nothing

» View More Worth a Look

View More Modern Environmentalist

Modern Environmentalist

2013-03-19 – Looking For a Better Way to Sell the Keystone Pipeline

2013-02-13 – Political Potshots won’t clean up Lake Winnipeg

2013-02-04 – Obama’s Path Toward Energy Poverty

» View More Modern Environmentalist

View More Charticles

Charticles - A Graphical Look at Issues

2013-05-31 – Manitoba Hydro: Worst Transparency in Canada

2013-05-13 – Manitoba Government Spending Rising Rapidly

2013-04-03 – Canadian Property Rights Index

» View More Charticles

View More Frontier Centre in the Media

Frontier Centre in the Media

2013-06-14 – An Echo?

2013-06-12 – Hydro Must Serve Citizens, Not Government

2013-04-25 – Speaker Argues Against Compact Cities

» View More Frontier Centre in the Media

View More Interactive Policy

Interactive Policy

2012-09-11 – Alberta Carbon Capture Opportunity Cost Calculator

2010-12-01 – Now Available: Frontier Centre iPhone Application

2009-03-14 – The Frontier Goods & Services Interactive InfoMap

» View More Interactive Policy

View More Frontier Media Appearances

Frontier Media Appearances

2013-06-14 – Restructuring Saskatchewan’s BusTransportation Subsidy Policy

2013-05-24 – No Alcohol Allowed (Alberta Primetime)

2013-05-08 – Climatism has Become a Religion for Many (CFRA radio, Ottawa)

» View More Frontier Media Appearances

View More Frontier Radio Commentary

Frontier Radio Commentary

2013-06-14 – A Costly Gamble with Manitoba’s Future

2013-06-07 – Historic Bill Aims to Replace Outdated Indian Act

2013-05-31 – Steep Tax Hikes For High Income Earners Do More Harm than Good

» View More Frontier Radio Commentary

View More Frontier Audio (Speeches/Events)

Frontier Audio (Speeches/Events)

2013-06-07 – Dam-nation: Rolling the Dice on Manitoba’s Future (Graham Lane)

2013-06-04 – Good Governance is Key (Chief David Crate)

2013-05-16 – To Heat or Eat: Europe's Climate Policy Fiasco (Benny Peiser)

» View More Frontier Audio (Speeches/Events)

View More Frontier Recommended Audio

Frontier Recommended Audio

2013-05-17 – Schizophrenic Government Climate/Energy Policies (CFRA radio, Ottawa)

2013-04-22 – April 18, 2013 – Al Gore-trained speaker debated (CFRA, Ottawa)

2013-04-15 – Yes Minister in Ottawa (CBC Radio)

» View More Frontier Recommended Audio

View More Frontier Channel - Video

Frontier Channel - Video

2013-04-08 – Options for a New Equalization Formula

2013-03-24 – Alberta Government makes a mistake with New York Times ad

2013-03-14 – Smart on Crime (SunTV)

» View More Frontier Channel - Video

View More Frontier Recommended Video

Frontier Recommended Video

2013-06-17 – Episode 13 with Michael Fairbanks - Free-Market Solutions to Poverty

2013-06-10 – Episode 12 with Steven Horwitz - The Austrian School of Economics

2013-06-03 – Episode 11 with Reuven Brenner - The Force of Finance

» View More Frontier Recommended Video

Feedback @ Frontier
RE: Make School Day Work Smarter, Not Longer — December 17, 2012

99.5% of the time I agree with the Frontier's views but on this one I have to provide a different  viewpoint. The existing school system at the elementary level is modeled on the same system that existed in the 60's, 50's, 40's, etc. Children are present in school from 9:00am to 3:30pm. Let's take the average family of the 21st century whereby both Mom and Dad are both present in the workforce (unlike the 60's, 50's, etc. where Mom's were "stay at home"). The standard workday is 8:00 to 4:00 or 9:00 to 5:00. Either parent is now forced to either rearrange their work schedule in order to pick up their child(ren) or find suitable after school daycare (for children under the age of 12).

Now take this situation one step further and apply it to a single parent family that is living at or below a middle income level. The parent gets two weeks vacation per year. The average number of Professional Development days teachers receive are a minimum of 1 per month not including early dismissals. The single parent must arrange and pay for an after school sitter or daycare when their child is released from school at 3:30pm. The cost of this to the parent is significant in terms of percentage of their annualized income. Factor in that the parent must arrange for a sitter 10 days a year not including the two weeks at Xmas and the summer and one can see the system is fine if we were living in 1952 but doesn not work for 2012.

I would argue that the average school day should not only coincide with the average work day but should be 8:30 to 5:30 to allow parents to fullfill their career/job obligations and help contribute to our economy by allowing for more work time and more disposable income directed to things the family needs vs going to after school daycare.

Email - Winnipeg, Mb

RE: Quebec Shouldn’t be Given its Gun Registry Data — September 21, 2012

This column was an eye-opener. Not so much for Navarro-Genie's gun registry argument, but for the examples he gave of the intrusion of the Quebec government in people's lives.

I was aware of the requirement of women to maintain their maiden names upon marriage, but had forgotten, or was un-aware that, among other restrictions, all housing leases must expire at the same time, and that state permission must be sought in naming a child, or to send one to a non-French school. Top it off with the edict that all outdoor commercial signs must be exclusively in French and you have, I believe, the most totalitarian, intrusive regime in Canada.

As with all of their entrenched information-gathering systems already in place, the gun registry in-formation is merely another nail in the coffin for individual freedom in that sad imitation of a democracy.

Eric Hindson, Calgary

RE: Quebec Shouldn’t be Given its Gun Registry Data — September 21, 2012

Question:   Why do you care if Quebec keeps registering long guns, you are in Calgary, does it really affect you?  The majority of Canadian's wanted to keep the registry.

Honestly, I'd be perfectly content if Alberta was the one to leave the country.  You can take Stephen Hitler with you, and continue to ruin your local environment with all the tar sands production and those ugly tailing ponds.  Email from William Groombridge

RE: SaskEd Measures Up — October 9, 2007
Sask Ed might be measuring achievement but at what cost? We in SK no longer use the reliable CTBS because it would show how our student's achievement has declined over time. Manitoba with its socialist government might have problems in education but ours is absolutely terrible itself with huge sums spent on the new huge school divisions with administrators falling over themselves to waste resources. E-mail from Saskatchewan
RE: Lower Rural Prices a Benefit — July 17, 2007
We are no where close the to the typical Toronto-based media portrayal of rural areas as being places of no jobs and no hope to earn a living. However, we are achieving this success in spite of, instead of because of, national and provincial public policies. Email from rural Manitoba
RE: Grassroots Natives Need and Elected Chief — June 16, 2005
I'm glad to see and hear more people from the grassroots that see the problems in Indian country with our leadership, locally, provincially and nationally. Keep up the good work. - Email from Fairford First Nation, Manitoba
RE: I read your article on school taxes with great interest and found myself agreeing with many of the main points. My question is: under a system of per pupil grants with management being at the school level, how would you ensure that students whose needs are more expensive to serve (than average students) are being met ? In other words what incentive is there for principals to cater to needs of difficult students ? - E-mail from Arthur Olson, Winnipeg — March 30, 2005
The province already pays more for special needs students, although the system currently lacks transparency and needs to be repaired. In jurisdictions where school choice is a reality, specific public schools cater to the market for “difficult” students, and by specializing become much more effective in meeting their needs. They treat such hard cases as opportunities to increase revenue rather than problems to be ignored. We could do a lot more for the most challenged students by abandoning the policy of mainstreaming, which disrupts classrooms for the severely normal. You may also find this perspective from a retired teacher interesting. Click here .
RE: Apocalypse Cancelled — October 19, 2009

The Frontier Center has already done one fantastic job of trying to wrestle this GW monster to the ground, and thanks for sending this link. BTW my compliments to yourself and the FC on getting Lord Monckton here to give that excellent presentation. The food was great - I enjoyed my steak. - E-mail from Winnipeg

RE: Saving Lake Winnipeg with Better Public Policy — August 23, 2007
While you and your NDP friends have pushed Manitoba to being the number one hog province now growing at 15% per year, some of us know the real cost of cleaning up after your pork pals will be too little, too late. - Letter from Lake Winnipeg Cottager, Matlock, Manitoba
Frontier Flashback
Fake Crime Waves
The information revolution is global in scope and unstoppable. The future shape of the industry will bring thousands of choices for consumers. They cannot be regulated by anyone, never mind a small band of officials in Ottawa. By continuing to try, they simply guarantee more hearings and enrich more law firms.
The Opportunity Cost of Copenhagen
Those at the UN Climate Change Conference should walk down the street to the Copenhagen Consensus headquarters; they should ask the experts there whether the resources earmarked for carbon reduction might be spent elsewhere and more effectively for men, women and children around the planet.
Pooh
For now, Winnipeg's greatest marketing opportunities lie abroad. The vast wilderness on our doorstep is a natural draw for stressed-out Europeans. Similarly, Manitoba's lakes, rivers and beaches should appeal to the planeloads of Japanese who flock to Banff or Whistler for the big outdoor experience every chance they get. This potential, however, remains undeveloped.
An ‘F’ for Social Promotion
Students must learn that graduating from school consists of more than simply putting in time. Social promotion sends the unfortunate message that effort and attitude make little difference in school.
Parents Want Better Report Cards
It would be hard to devise a less informative reporting method. As this parent rightly pointed out, without meaningful evaluations of achievement, there is no motivation for students to try harder. Her daughter’s school newsletter tells parents to expect their children to receive mostly 3’s since marks of 4 are received only for exceptional students. Perhaps the only “advantage” to this system is that it makes report card time extremely simple for teachers—too simple. Parents have the right to more specific information, not simply to be told that their child is working “at grade level.” The removal of scores simply removes precision in evaluation from report cards and leave parents wondering just how their child is progressing.
Improving University Teaching
Universities have institutionalized a system in which good professors are punished for teaching well while poor professors are rewarded for teaching badly. This perverse incentive system leads to an important challenge: how can university administrators make course evaluations an effective tool for rewarding good teaching? This column suggests a way of doing this.
A Consumer Controlled Healthcare Alternative
Here's how MSAs work. Singapore's government mandates that workers place between six and eight percent of their incomes into dedicated accounts, the exact amount depending on age. This money can only buy health services, and some of it must purchase insurance for long-term and catastrophic care. During their lifetimes MSA holders cannot use the funds freely, but their estates inherit whatever's left after death. Top-notch public hospitals fill the gap for those without incomes.
The Province to Students: Don’t Worry About the Real World
Considering the large number of students who choose to procrastinate, the last thing they need is to hear is that they can hand in their assignments whenever they want. Schools should prepare their students for life in the real world, not shelter them from the natural consequences of their actions.
Toward More Prosperous Cities
Cities have drawn rural residents principally because of economic aspiration, as people have abandoned rural poverty for the hope of a better life in the city. They did not flock to the city “for the fountains” or for “good” urban planning. Cities that facilitate achievement of aspirations are likely to attract residents, while those that do not tend to stagnate or shrink.

Future Solutions for Retirement Security & Pensions with The Honourable Ted Menzies - June 27, 2013


Upcoming Events

Dams & Transmission Lines: Are There Responsible Alternatives?
with Ed Schreyer, Former Governor General of Canada & Premier of Manitoba
June 25, 2013 — Winnipeg

Future Solutions for Retirement Security & Pensions
with The Honourable Ted Menzies
June 27, 2013 — Calgary



Upcoming FCPP Appearances

Watch for more appearances soon - to book a Frontier speaker for your community club or organization contact newideas@fcpp.org


Thu June 20, 2013

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