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Canadian Local Government Performance Index - makes it easy to understand the performance and reporting standards of Canadian cities

Conversation on the Frontier with Benny Peiser, Director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation

We are talking about a wealth transfer in the order of about 600 billion euros in the last eight years. Subsidies paid to green investors mainly land owners and very wealthy families who put up large solar panels on their farms or roofs. These 600 billion euros are being paid by ordinary families and small, medium sized businesses to the most privileged members of European society. That is the biggest wealth transfer in modern Europe for a very, very, long time if not ever.


Canada's Organic Food System is a Nightmare

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.)

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.

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
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
April 30, 2013 - Listen to discussion between International Climate Science Coalition Executive Director and FCPP advisor Tom Harris and John Counsell on Late Night Counsell on CFRA radio, Ottawa about how, even among leading science experts, climatism has become tantamount to a religion (~6 min.). CFRA is the leading radio station in the National (Canada) Capital Region.

~6 min 

May 8, 2013 — Climatism has Become a Religion for Many (CFRA radio, Ottawa)
The highlight of speech given by Jack Dalgliesh, former civil servant on collapse of the Crocus Fund.

~1 min 

May 8, 2013 — The Crocus Story – Short Version
May 5, 2013 - Listen to interview with International Climate Science Coalition Executive Director and FCPP advisor Tom Harris on “The World Today Weekend With Host Sean Leslie” on CKNW radio, Vancouver, B.C. about why the conclusions of a widely-publicized announcement showing unusual ice melt in the Arctic are unsubstantiated (~21 min.).

~21 min 

May 7, 2013 — Arctic Ice Melt Nothing to Worry About (CKNW radio, Vancouver)
Jack Dalgliesh, now retired, shared his story for the first time in a presentation to a live public audience as a Civil Servant Whistleblower on the now defunct, Crocus Fund. He maintains that the Manitoba government ignored advice of departmental financial experts and collaborated with the Crocus Investment Fund to keep the Fund afloat. This, even though, government knew the Fund was becoming illiquid and was not operating in accordance with its prospectus which could lead to its collapse with severe consequences to investors and Manitoba taxpayers. From Breakfast on the Frontier, April 30, 2013 in Winnipeg.

~67 min 

May 6, 2013 — The Crocus Story – An Insider’s Perspective (Jack Dalgliesh)
In recent years, many local school boards in Canada have been faced with declining enrollment because of competition from private schools. As well, a growing number of parents have been choosing to home school their children. One way to reverse that trend is by providing a broader range of choices in the public school system. The approach has been tried with some success in Canada.

~2 min 

May 3, 2013 — School Boards Should Offer Parents Choices
There’s a green revolution happening in energy, but probably not what most are expecting. For years, environmental lobby groups have been pushing governments around the world to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases through carbon taxes, and large subsidies to encourage development of renewable energy. But for the most part, this top down approach has failed to change human behaviour in a significant way. (~2 min.)

~2 min 

April 26, 2013 — A Fracking Revolution
'My favorite think tank in Canada is the Frontier Centre, and their latest notable research is a new ranking of property rights across the provinces. The author, Joseph Quesnel, explains the various measures of property and how the provinces and territories of Canada compare.' (~15 min.)

~15 min 

April 24, 2013 — Property Rights Ranking in Canada (Stateless Man)

Latest Publications

Benny Peiser, Director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation

— May 23, 2013

Europe’s failing green energy model has enriched a green elite while plunging millions into fuel poverty.



Poverty and Growth: Retro-Urbanists Cling to the Myth of Suburban Decline

— May 23, 2013

In the wake of the post-2008 housing bust, suburbia has become associated with many of the same ills long associated with cities, as our urban-based press corps and cultural elite cheerfully sneer at each new sign of decline, most recently a study released Monday by the Brookings Institution—which has become something of a Vatican for anti-suburban theology—trumpeting the news that there are now 1 million more poor people in America’s suburbs than in its cities.



Scrapping the Provincial Achievement Tests will Join Race to the Bottom

— May 20, 2013

Alberta education minister Jeff Johnson recently announced plans to scrap the Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) currently written by grade 3, 6 and 9 students. More “student-friendly” assessments will be written at the beginning of the year. This is a disappointing development, especially since Alberta has long been the top-performing province in the country.



To Heat or Eat: Europe's Climate Policy Fiasco (Peiser)

— May 16, 2013

PowerPoint slides which accompanied Benny Peiser's speech To Heat or Eat: Europe's Climate Policy Fiasco that he gave in Calgary on May 14, 2013.



The Environmental State of Canada

— May 14, 2013

Ben Eisen and Romy Yourex demonstrate that Canada’s natural environment has generally been growing cleaner and greener by examining a number of indicators across several dimensions of environmental sustainability including urban air pollution, GHG emissions, freshwater withdrawals, freshwater quality, agricultural soil quality and forestry.



Media Release - The Environmental State of Canada

— May 14, 2013

Ben Eisen and Romy Yourex examine a number of performance measures to assess important trends surrounding the health and vitality of Canada’s natural environment.




Recent Updates


View More Policy Notes

Policy Notes - A One Page Policy Discussion

2013-05-20 – Scrapping the Provincial Achievement Tests will Join Race to the Bottom

2013-04-22 – Selinger's Broken Tax Promise is the Least of it

2013-04-19 – Suggestions for the Next Liberal Platform

» View More Policy Notes

View More Frontier Backgrounders

Frontier Backgrounders - Short Analyses

2013-04-16 – Toward More Prosperous Cities

2013-04-01 – Options for the CBC

2013-03-11 – More Police Does Not Equal Less Crime

» View More Frontier Backgrounders

View More Perspectives

Perspectives - Thoughts from the Advisory Board...

2013-05-23 – Poverty and Growth: Retro-Urbanists Cling to the Myth of Suburban Decline

2013-05-08 – Alberta government needs new approach to Keystone XL pipeline lobbying

2013-04-21 – How Rich Rockefellers Battle the People’s Pipeline

» View More Perspectives

View More Policy Series

Policy Series - Longer Reports & Studies

2013-05-14 – The Environmental State of Canada

2013-03-25 – The Future of E-Government in Saskatchewan

2013-03-08 – The Supply Management Cartel:

» View More Policy Series

View More Conversations

Conversations - with Policy Innovators

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

2013-02-07 – Dr. Stephen Blank, Transport Expert

2012-11-07 – Pierre Desrochers, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

» View More Conversations

View More Special Reports and Publications

Special Reports and Publications

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

2012-09-07 – Polar Bear Propaganda

2012-06-10 – Transfer Disease?

» 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

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

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

2013-03-22 – Hunting for Habitat: On the Private Production of Ecological Goods and Services (Knopff)

» View More PowerPoint Slides from Events

View More Aboriginal Voices from Ground Zero

Aboriginal Voices from Ground Zero

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

2013-04-15 – First Nations Should Welcome New Transparency Law

2013-04-04 – Volume Never Wins Arguments

» View More Aboriginal Voices from Ground Zero

View More Worth a Look

Worth a Look - In our Virtual Library...

2013-05-23 – A Hospital Case

2013-05-16 – To Eat or Heat? That’s the EU’s Question

2013-05-15 – B.C. Vote Shifted on One Word: Pipelines

» 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

2013-05-13 – Manitoba Government Spending Rising Rapidly

2013-04-03 – Canadian Property Rights Index

2012-08-29 – Quebec Tuition Fee Dispute - The Stats

» View More Charticles

View More Frontier Centre in the Media

Frontier Centre in the Media

2013-04-25 – Speaker Argues Against Compact Cities

2013-04-11 – Borough Takes Over Sidewalk Repairs

2013-04-02 – Alberta Workers Taste Reality

» 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

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

2013-05-07 – Arctic Ice Melt Nothing to Worry About (CKNW radio, Vancouver)

2013-04-24 – Property Rights Ranking in Canada (Stateless Man)

» View More Frontier Media Appearances

View More Frontier Radio Commentary

Frontier Radio Commentary

2013-05-24 – Canada's Organic Food System is a Nightmare

2013-05-17 – Improving Access to the Newest Medicines

2013-05-10 – Government Set to Move on First Nations Equality Law

» View More Frontier Radio Commentary

View More Frontier Audio (Speeches/Events)

Frontier Audio (Speeches/Events)

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

2013-05-08 – The Crocus Story – Short Version

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

» 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

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

2013-05-20 – Episode 9 with Lawrence W. Reed - Adam Smith and the birth of economics

2013-05-13 – Episode 8 with Michael Walker - The Freedom Index

» 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: An Environmental Policy for the 21st Century — October 13, 2005
I have just reviewed your paper on Smart and Green principles. I want to congratulate you for crafting such a thoughtful and intellectually-rigorous document. E-mail from Manitoba
RE: The Moral Case Against Dumb Government Intervention — January 14, 2009
Mark Milke is one of those people whose philosophy and consequent opinions are like carborundii. Depending on your relationship to his grindstones of wisdom, they can either grind you down and make you angry, or sharpen your sense of what is really of importance and give you an edge. I hardly ever agree with his outlook, his opinions or his politics, but his columns never fail to engage my intellect and elevate my blood pressure. With this column, he has simultaneously angered me and sharpened my resolve. It is not just because I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment of the moral indictment against "stupid" governments and slatternly business entitlements. He has also expressed most reasonable Canadians' exasperation at our politicians (you can't really call them leaders) repeating the same insanity while hoping for different results. Well done, Mr. Milke. -- John O'Gorman, Bragg Creek
RE: School Vouchers in Sweden — May 17, 2005
I also agree with the need to break the educrat strangle hold on the system. Trust me, I have dealt with this centralized administration attitude that we know best what is good for you for too long. Similarly, I agree the power to the union and the professional bodies to dictate how education delivered needs to be reduced. We need more choice and control as parents and communities about the type of education our young people receive. - Email from Winnipeg
RE: Let’s Dance the Dutch Minuet on Schools — March 31, 2003
The Frontier Centre's highlight on the Dutch Education System demonstrates that our current education model and governance structure can be changed to achieve better performance, accountability, and value for both students and taxpayers. Only those with vested interests, fear of change, and/or disbelief in the room for improvement would be afraid of learning from the success of others. - E-mail from S. Mark Francis, Winnipeg, March 31, 2003
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: Three Million Manitobans — June 3, 2003
"Always interesting reading..." Email - Moncton, New Brunswick

"I REALLY enjoyed this article. It contains the kind of "beyond the box" thinking that I wish could be found in governments, of any political stripe. Well done." Email - Winnipeg, Manitoba

Frontier Flashback
Mainstreaming Mania
Unfortunately, this type of social engineering puts the public school system at a disadvantage. It is one more reason for parents to spend a little more on private and independent schooling options for their children in order to avoid the frequently disruptive ideological ballast of mainstreaming.
Schools Should Focus on the Essentials
Schmoker also notes that students are more likely to learn when teachers focus on providing effective, whole-class lessons rather than trying to cater to the individual learning style of every student. He provides several examples of schools in high-poverty neighbourhoods where their students are reading well above grade level. In these schools, early years teachers engage all students in learning through whole-class lessons with regular checks for understanding.
Five Modest Proposals for a New AFN Chief
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) will be at a crossroads as they hold their annual meeting in Calgary this week and let’s not kid ourselves: the AFN has an impact. Useful legislation has been either killed or watered-down “thanks” to AFN intervention; think of the Liberal’s proposed First Nation Governance Act, or a more recent bill from the Tories that would grant civil rights for on-reserve First Nations women.
Discussing the Elephant in the Room: Indian Property Rights
This research ... uncovers 6.5 million acres (2.7 million hectares) of land held by First Nations but ultimately owned by the Crown. While not all of this land is prime, much is arable or contains timber, oil and natural gas, or mineral wealth. Even without prime land, all First Nations would see an instant increase in the value of their land if it was truly theirs. After all, Hong Kong has few natural resources; what Hong Kong has had over the past century was property rights which allowed land to be leveraged into loans, capital and wealth creation.
Political Diversity: Money Talks and its Language is Incumbency (Part 5 of 8)
Political science teaches that incumbent governments will generally tend to shape the political playing field to favour their own interests. Manitoba’s current government has done so deftly, which has limited political competition and further entrenched the supplicant society model.
Conversation with Tom Flanagan
Yes, it is largely a result of the legislative straightjacket that we have put them in. However, the legislation is there for a purpose-to preserve a collective identity-so we have to face up to the fact that if you are going to use government legislation to preserve an identity there are going to be economic consequences.
Government Should Act to Avoid Native Walkerton Tragedy
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada’s delivery of 200 water buckets to a remote Manitoba reserve was used to show ‘lack of action’ on the issue. The political symbolism of the buckets, which Native leaders dubbed ‘slop pails’, however, is no substitute for proper action. To be clear, lack of water is not the issue, but water quality. Merrell-Ann S. Phare, Executive Director of the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources stated that more than 90 per cent of First Nation communities are located near or directly beside bodies of water.
Wide Fluctuations in Arctic Temperature Common
The two reports underline what scientists who have studied arctic climates know. Namely, that arctic climate and therefore arctic ice fluctuates a great deal. Indeed, it is more normal to have large areas of the arctic warming while others cool. Overall the arctic and the world has come from an ice age (glacial period) just 22,000 years ago to an interglacial (warm period) today. The warming was mostly caused by changes in the sun/earth relationship (tilt and orbit changes) and changes in solar energy. The changes since modern records began around 1880 also correlate with changes in the sun, not greenhouse gases.
Saskatchewan's Recycling Woes
Inevitably, Saskatchewan has reacted to the unwelcome imports with a barrage of regulations that have increased its costs. At first, people lugging in loads of cans ran into daily limits on containers eligible for refunds. They had to prove they were residents of Saskatchewan. But it never worked. The smugglers simply broke the large truckloads into smaller batches and arranged to return the interloping cans over several days.

Good Governance is Key with Chief David Crate - May 29, 2013


Upcoming Events

Good Governance is Key
with Chief David Crate
May 29, 2013 — Winnipeg

Dam-nation: Rolling the Dice on Manitoba’s Future
with Graham Lane
June 5, 2013 — Winnipeg



Upcoming FCPP Appearances

Community Policy Forum
Speaker: Steve Lafleur, FCPP Policy Analyst
Date: May 28, 2013
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Place: Grant Park McNally Robinson, Winnipeg, Mb


Sat May 25, 2013

Link to Prairie Weather


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