Cuba Without the Sunshine – April 15, 2013
Dawn is breaking in Puerto Argentino, the town its former inhabitants once knew as Port Stanley. At the tiny airport, a gigantic mural commemorates the soldiers from the mainland who lost their lives in the battle for the Malvinas, or the Falklands, as they used to be called.

Seeking a Pragmatic Review of Saskatchewan’s Crown Corporations – March 21, 2013
Sheldon Schwartz, who has worked for the government of Saskatchewan, notes that it has been more than 15 years since the last review of Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations and five years since he first proposed one. The time for a new Crown Review has come.

A New Crown Review – March 1, 2013
In this study, Sheldon Schwartz, a former Crown Investments Corporation Vice President, examines the case for a new review of Saskatchewan’s Crown Corporations. He argues that much has changed in the 15 years since the last review, and the time has come to take another look at the provinces asset portfolio.

Media Release - Seeking a Pragmatic Review of Saskatchewan’s Crown Corporations – March 1, 2013
This backgrounder makes a case for a review of Saskatchewan’s commercial Crown corporations. A Review would foster informed public debate, and would help the government and opposition parties to develop clear policies on Crowns. It would provide a pragmatic alternative to ideology in assessing the benefits, costs, risks, and continuing public policy purpose of government ownership of various commercial Crowns. In this policy backgrounder, Sheldon Schwartz, a former Crown Investments Corporation Vice President, examines the case for a new review of Saskatchewan’s Crown Corporations. He argues that much has changed in the 15 years since the last review, and the time has come to take another look at the provinces asset portfolio.

Ridley Terminals a Lesson for Market-Interfering Governments – December 28, 2012
Last week, the federal government announced that it was putting up for sale Ridley Terminals Inc., a coal and bulk commodity terminal in Prince Rupert, B.C. Many readers may not have heard of Ridley, and may be wondering why the government of Canada owned a coal terminal in the first place. The idea goes back to the days when mandarins in Ottawa concocted “regional economic development” plans that bore little resemblance to economic and market facts of life.

Un-Crown Them – February 3, 2012
The last decade has been a relatively quiet period in terms of privatization at both the federal and provincial levels. There are a number of reasons for this privatization hiatus. Certainly a major contributing factor, at least at the federal level, is that the low-hanging fruit has already been privatized.

The Real Margaret Thatcher Story – January 26, 2012
That is certainly what the producers of "The Iron Lady" have done. The result is a masterly performance by Meryl Streep as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. But the depiction of Mrs. Thatcher in the movie misses much of the larger story. That story—the struggle to define the frontier between the state and the market, and the calamities that happen when governments live beyond their means—is directly relevant to the debt dramas now rocking Europe and the United States.

Making Manitoba a ‘Have’ Province – September 25, 2011
With Manitobans on the cusp of an election, it is time to adopt a model that is far less political and dependent on government spending.

Revitalizing Manitoba (Updated) – September 25, 2011
Special Frontier publication authored by Law Professor Bryan Schwartz discussing a variety of topics affecting Manitoba competitiveness, well-being and prosperity that present a practical roadmap towards a less politicized and more successful province.

David Henderson, Economist – August 22, 2011
David Henderson, the author of Canada’s Budget Triumph, was interviewed August 10, 2011 during a recent visit to Winnipeg.

Privatization Fears Just Fallacy – July 5, 2011
In advance of this October's provincial election, the NDP's pocket fear-mongering division is working overtime to try and paint the Progressive Conservatives as a pack of liars.

The Price Is Always Right – March 14, 2011
Everyone knew last month's privatization of Indonesian airline Garuda had gone badly, but exactly how badly is only now coming into focus.

Manitoba, The Supplicant Society – March 5, 2011
Special monograph of the entire 8-part series on a variety of topics affecting Manitoba competitiveness, well-being and prosperity by Law Professor Bryan Schwartz.

Manitoba Hydro: Reforming the Jurassic Crown (Part 7 of 8) – February 26, 2011
Manitoba Hydro needs a full mandate review and governance overhaul if it is to serve the people of Manitoba and become the engine of economic growth it ought to be.

Manitoba: The Supplicant Society (Part 1 of 8) – January 22, 2011
Manitoba has evolved into a supplicant society based on equalization payments that have the unintentional effect of limiting the province's freedom and prosperity.

To the Scrap Heap – January 10, 2011
Manitoba’s Public Insurance’s arbitrary policy to destroy cheap used cars made before 1995 has dire unintended consequences for unemployed poor looking for jobs, and for the environment that the policy claims to protect.

Limited Government in Saskatchewan? – January 7, 2011
Adopting smaller government policies in Saskatchewan is an interesting affair as the NDP government laid the groundwork, but the record of the current Saskatchewan Party government is mixed. The optimistic view is the party is adopting a long-term, incremental approach.

Feedback - The Road to Ruin – December 30, 2010
Their system is even worse than Canada’s in terms of presenting a poverty trap because housing and transportation is means tested in addition to our packages of health and day care services. When she was in that situation, she earned less than $1 per hour incremental money from working at a minimum wage position than she did doing nothing. Any logical person in that situation searched out opportunities to work occasionally for cash in very vulnerable employer-employee relationships that were open to multiple forms of abusive practices.

Having It Three Ways – November 9, 2010
The people of Saskatchewan play three competing roles in the Crowns; they are simultaneously the investor, the customer, and often the employee of the same companies. Too often, benefits for one role are promoted without considering what it means for the same people’s interests in the other two roles.

Media Release - Having it Three Ways – November 9, 2010
The people of Saskatchewan play three competing roles in the Crowns; they are simultaneously the investor, the customer, and often the employee of the same companies. Too often, benefits for one role are promoted without considering what it means for the same people’s interests in the other two roles.