It is wrong to subject future generations of Native youth to conditions that will not change—isolation far from educational and career opportunities. Human decency necessitates different thinking. The tragedy is that some isolated communities do not have a future and indigenous leaders should consider convincing their members to abandon present sites in favour of better ones.
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In The News —
January 28, 2010
Fruitful Decade For Many In The World
It may not feel that way right now, but the last 10 years may go down in world history as a big success. In economic terms, at least, the decade was a remarkably good one for many people around the globe, says Tyler Cowen, an economics professor at George Mason University.
The raging economic growth rates of China and India are well known, though their rise is part of a broader trend in the economic development of poorer countries. Ideals of prosperity, freedom and the rule of law have probably never been more resonant globally than they've been over the last 10 years, even if practice often falls short. And for all of the anticapitalistic rhetoric that has emerged from the financial crisis, national leaders around the world are embracing the commercialization of their economies, says Cowen.
Putting aside the United States, which ranks third, the four most populous countries are China, India, Indonesia and Brazil, accounting for more than 40 percent of the world's people, and all four have made great strides, says Cowen:
o Indonesia had solid economic growth during the entire decade, mostly in the 5 percent to 6 percent annual range.
o Brazil also had a consistently good decade, with growth at times exceeding 5 percent a year.
o Elsewhere in South America, Colombia and Peru have made enormous progress and Chile is on the verge of becoming a "developed" country.
o To be sure, in Africa, there is still enormous misery; nonetheless, overall standards of living rose in a wide variety of countries there, with economic growth for the continent as a whole at more than 5 percent in most years.
One lesson from all of this is that steady economic growth is an underreported news story -- and to our own detriment, says Cowen:
o In a given year, an extra percentage point of economic growth may not seem to matter much.
o But, over time, the difference between annual growth of 1 percent and 2 percent determines whether you can double your standard of living every 35 years or every 70 years.
o At 5 percent annual economic growth, living standards double about every 14 years.
Source: Tyler Cowen, "Fruitful Decade for Many in the World,"
New York Times, January 2, 2010.
See More "In the News"
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Many people defend equalization as providing roughly equal services across the provinces. Ironically however, equalization often overshoots the mark. Recipient provinces actually end up with better services than the provinces who pay into the system. The federal government should stop the growth in equalization payments. Ottawa should instead motivate provinces to implement better public policy and to invest in growth instead of rewarding mediocrity. Join us weekly across the prairies for our hard hitting policy commentary broadcast across the Goldenwest Radio Network - Click here for a list of 13 stations and broadcast times.
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February 5, 2010 —
Equalization, Unequal Incentives
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~13 min
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February 4, 2010 —
Homes for the Homeless (CFAX)
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~5 min
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February 4, 2010 —
Calgary's Housing Affordability (CHQR)
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~64 min
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February 3, 2010 —
My Life in the Grain Business - William B. Parrish
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~17 min
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February 2, 2010 —
A Kiwi Perspective on Local Government Legislation (CFAX)
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~26 min
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February 2, 2010 —
Manitoba's Failing Grade (CJOB)
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~2 min
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January 29, 2010 —
Too Much Media Is The Message
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~22 min
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January 27, 2010 —
How Affordable is Our Housing? (CFAX)
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~14 min
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January 26, 2010 —
On the Offensive Against Automated Traffic Enforcement (Newstalk)
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~18 min
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January 25, 2010 —
Facts on Daycare (CHQR)
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~2 min
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January 22, 2010 —
Targeted Childcare Policies Deliver More Bang for the Buck
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~18 min
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January 19, 2010 —
Equalization is Bad for All Provinces (CHQR)
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Latest Publications
— February 9, 2010
First Nation leaders should consider relocating reserves to better locations in order to maximize economic and educational opportunities for the next generation: some reserves are simply not economically viable
— February 8, 2010
First Nation leaders should consider relocating reserves to better locations in order to maximize economic and educational opportunities for the next generation: some reserves are simply not economically viable
— February 8, 2010
Non-viable reserves need to be identified by indigenous leaders –and moved, for the sake of the younger generation.
— February 8, 2010
If we want our kids to be better educated and better equipped to take on the world, openness matters—a lot.
— February 8, 2010
A strong Alberta leads to a more powerful West—which will be positive for all of Canada.
— February 7, 2010
"Corruption disclosed was necessary because the science and the evidence didn’t fit what they wanted. They made the science fit the political goals and stopped at nothing to achieve the end. They succeeded, because beyond manipulations that duped politicians, media and most of the public, they knew many scientists who participated did not understand climate science."
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RE: Why You Pay a Fortune for Airline Tickets
— January 12, 2010
I was extremely impressed with your article about the lack of competition among North American air carriers. I fly within Europe fairly frequently and I am endlessly astonished by their low "domestic" prices in comparison with ours. Keep making noise Mark Milke! You hit the nail on the head. Who knows? Maybe one day the Canadian governments will wake up its slumber and truly support the competitive spirit it purportedly supports! Good for you! -- Email from Eric Scott, Montreal
RE: The Other Name For “Profiling”: Smart Detective Work
— January 12, 2010
I think your article on profiling was very good. As you said - it's just good police work. The example of people destroying their passport while enroute is easily solved - why don't we have the willpower to do it. --Email from Bob Spinney
RE: Climategate: Who’s In Denial Now?
— January 4, 2010
Regarding Ken Green’s article, "Who's in denial now", which appeared in the Dec 28 Calgary Herald, I congratulate, and thank, him for a very well written, thoughtful, and truthful comment on climategate and the reprehensible agenda of the global warming frauds. -- E-mail from Calgary
RE: High-Performance Cities show Calgary a Better Path
— November 28, 2005
Peter Holle's column should be required reading for every taxpayer. The Washington Monument syndrome he describes was evident in just about every statement I heard by Mayor Dave Bronconnier during the debate. This was one of the most articulate commentaries I have read on the need for municipal government reform, and not just in Calgary. I hope we can look forward to more articles like it that not only help to
identify root problems, but also offer practical suggestions for change for any leader bold enough to embrace them. - Stephen Pardy, Calgary
RE: One reader's take on Al Gore's mistakes in 'An Inconvenient Truth'
— November 4, 2009
1) Pg 46. The Mount Boulder pictures were taken in 1988 and 1986-88 were very hot summers. The 1932 picture is probably from early March and the 1988 picture is probably from October after the summer melt.
2) Pg 26 and 27. CO2 is 0.038% of the atmosphere so how can this trace gas cause so much havoc? Its fairly inert and when you put pop bottles in the sun they don't explode or melt and they have hundreds of times the quantity of CO2 in the atmosphere. CO2 is good plant food also. Bring it on.
3) Pg 116 and 117. Lake Chad has always had a lot of variability in its water level. It nearly dried up in 1984 and 1908. Authorities have claimed its variability has nothing to do with global warming.
4) It is claimed the ocean levels will rise and drown all of New York City for example. One climate alarmist environmentalist said in 1984 we would have ocean levels 10 feet higher by now. We are still waiting for an inch.
5) Polar bears: Alaska reinstated the polar bear hunt after they were put on the endangered species list. They are over run with polar bears up there and its been proven their numbers are 10 times what they were in the 1940s.
6) Its claimed tree cutting is ruining the earth and causing global warming. We cut down around 1/10th of one per cent of the earth's trees each year or perhaps 2/10ths according to the tree consumption in the USA. They will grow back and you will never cut all the earth's trees down. Most seedlings never make it to become a large tree.
7) There's over 100,000 glaciers in North America. What are the chances of finding a dozen which have melted a bit?
8) The earth-at-night pictures would lead you to believe the earth is highly populated. It isn't and if you check Al Gore's book on page 13 you will see the earth is dark and there are no lights. Night city lights have often been yellowish not white. Where are the clouds in the picture? The earth's population could all fit into the state of Texas with a population density of New York City. All the world's cars could fit into the state of Delaware which is a miniscule part of the earth's surface.
I hope this does not hurt Al Gore's sensitive feelings. After all I am a scientific, unbiased person and I don't like it when I see rampant deception. I could have said more about the above.
Tracy Malloy
Pickering Ontario
RE: Five Reasons to Doubt Clima-geddon
— August 13, 2009
Ken Green makes a gross understatement when he states: "Climate alarmists don't have extraordinary evidence." The only evidence for global warming caused by CO2 emissions is a 23-year period from 1975 to 1998 during which rapidly increasing emissions are concurrent with increases in global temperatures. Prior to this was a 33-year period of global cooling contemporaneous with a 16-gigatonne per year increase in CO2 emissions due to postwar industrialization, and prior to that was a 32-year period of rapid warming with only half a gigatonne per year of emissions increase. More . . . -- Letter to the Editor, Calgary
RE: Transit Disneyland . . .
— May 29, 2005
One of the biggest ironies in Winnipeg municipal issues recently has been the rapid transit controversy. Here's a city that probably has the most poorly-maintained roads of any urban area of its size in North America; yet it persists in talking about another transportation mode that it likely won't be able to sustain.
More . . .
- Email from Winnipeg
RE: The Greatest Canadian Supported User Fees
— December 8, 2004
Thanks for another great article uncovering the truth! I have often read
your articles and find myself in pure agreement. - Email from Winnipeg, December 8, 2004
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Unravelling Child Poverty
Unsurprisingly, little of the money spent on such transfer programs actually reaches the poor. To quote Tanner, “In 1965, 70 cents of every dollar spent by the government to fight poverty went directly to poor people. Today, 70 cents of every dollar goes, not to poor people, but to government bureaucrats and others who serve the poor.” He recommends a wholesale dismantling of state welfare and a transfer of the task to private charities, few of which “have the bureaucratic overhead and inefficiency of government programs.”
Enough with Band Election Shenanigans
The problem is that current band leaders have little incentive to give up power in this way. The only way for things to change is for average band members to shake up the system so much that leaders will have to listen. This may mean more sit-ins, marches and demonstrations.
Rolling Along
This entire suite of community benefits can be traced back to livestock. The 12,000-head feedlot and the Cattlex brokerage house provide more jobs and regional incomes, in addition to the expansion of the hog industry. Fears of negative environmental impacts have proven to be unfounded.
Profiling Tenants and Landlords for More Efficient Rental Markets
Just as eBay solved its market failure problem, the City could increase the efficiency of the rental market with a profiling scheme for landlords and tenants. A strong profile would lead to more rental or tenant opportunities, perhaps with better terms, and it would not create a winner-loser dynamic. The possibility of a strong profile would change the current negative incentives into positive ones.
Should Manitoba Expand Ethanol Subsidies?
Full subsidization of the ethanol industry – if widened by mandating an ethanol component in all gasoline – would cost $35 million a year. The universal goal of environmental improvement would almost certainly be better advanced by spending that money in other ways. Helping farmers to deliver environmental benefits to society would be one much better option. Improving urban waterways, enhancing urban green space, and providing incentives for energy conservation are others.
Automobiles, Key to Katrina and Rita Evacuation
We do not live in a world where everyone can drive and for that reason I support effective public transit systems. Rail transit is not effective, particularly for low-income people, which is why I am skeptical of it. The point of my article is to oppose those who want to reduce auto ownership rates. They are ignoring the huge costs that this policy would impose on families, both those trying to get out of poverty and those trying to escape a disaster.
Property Rights: the Nisga'a Pave the Way
The "dragon" to be slain here is the notion that engaging in commercial activity will somehow make someone less indigenous. This idea is silly. It presumes indigenous people have never engaged in commercial activity when most of their history is based on sophisticated trade networks.
The Benefits of Globalization
The biggest misconception in the debate on globalisation is that poverty is supposedly something new. And that things are getting worse. It is not. One hundred years ago, every country was a developing country. The new thing in our modern world is not poverty, but wealth. The fact that some countries and regions have escaped that poverty.
If the Frontier Centre Could Write Part of the Throne Speech
From a Western perspective, economic flexibility, dynamism, and growth depend on wholesale reform of the perverse incentives in our programs of taxation and regional development. Equalization transfers penalize growth in “have” provinces while inducing “have not” provinces to refrain from creating a more attractive tax and investment climate and developing public sectors focused on results.
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Upcoming Events
Wastewater Problems in Cottage Country
with John Ilg, Process Engineer, FWS Industrial Projects Ltd.
February 10, 2010 — Winnipeg
The Sky Is Not Falling – Putting Climate Change on Trial
with Bruno Wiskel, Professional Geologist, Author and Speaker
February 12, 2010 — Calgary
Upcoming FCPP Appearances
State of First Nations
Speaker: Don Sandberg, Director of the Aboriginal Frontiers Project
Date: February 13, 2010
Time: Go to: www.ctstv.com for local viewing time in Calgary, Edmonton and Ontario
Place: Faith Journal Show - CTSTV
Studio interview with Don Sandberg, Frontier Centre for Public Policy, and Laura Deedza airing February 13 - 14, 2010.
What New Zealand can learn from Local Government Amalgamation in Canada
Speaker: Peter Holle, President
Date: February 17, 2010
Time: 6:00 pm
Place: Buddle Findlay Law Office, State Insurance Tower, 1 Willis Street, Wellington, New Zealand
At various times in Canada there have been moves to consolidate and amalgamate cities in different regions of the country. The reasons given in support of these policies have centred mostly around achieving greater efficiencies from larger economies of scale. But the experience has mostly been negative to mixed. Costs have increased while democratic accountability has decreased. As suggested by the Tiebout Model from the school of public choice economics larger city units have harmed the citizen customer of public services by removing their ability to vote with their feet when choosing the basket of municipal services offered by their local governments.
Peter Holle, the founding President of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, a Western Canada based public policy think tank, will review the Canadian experience and discuss the practical realities of amalgamation in Canada in this seminar at the Law & Economics Association of New Zealand (LEANZ).
For more details contact: Matt Burgess at matt02@gmail.com
Telecommuting: Being There Without Being There
Speaker: David Seymour, Senior Policy Analyst and Director, Saskatchewan Office
Date: March 3, 2010
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (approx.)
Place: Delta Bessborough, 601 Spadina Cres, Saskatoon, SK
Sustainable Saskatchewan Conference Telecommuting is a stealthy alternative to the more conventional transportation solutions which governments often promote. For more details e-mail: alicia.curle@seda.sk.ca
High Performing First Nations - Measuring Community Health and Governance
Speaker: Don Sandberg, Director of Aboriginal Frontiers Project
Date: March 4, 2010
Time: TBD
Place: Westin Hotel, 11 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON
AFOA 10th Anniversary National Conference The Frontier Centre for Public Policy released its third annual Aboriginal Governance Index (AGI) in the summer of 2009. The AGI is a result of surveys conducted in 98 First Nations across the Prairies with over 5,100 on reserve residents. The Index found that three measurements are the best indicators of the overall health of a band: 1) A trustworthy election process; 2) Transparent government and institutions and 3) Competent band administration. The O’Chiese First Nation in Alberta took the top spot on the Index. At this session there will be a discussion of the measurement/indicators that resulted, common indicators among the top ten reserves and what set those communities apart and contributed to their high ranking. Contact Micheline Belanger for more info Phone: 819.827.5031, Toll Free: 866.775.1817 or Email:
Manitoba Policy Blueprint for the Future
Speaker: Peter Holle, President
Date: March 18, 2010
Time: 8:45 a.m.
Place: Winnipeg Realtors, 1240 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg
Booming Saskatchewan is on the verge of matching Alberta's flat income tax. Beleaguered Ontario is pushing to trim transfer payments. Alberta is under pressure to slash public spending and reform healthcare. Sales tax harmonization is happening in most provinces. How can Manitoba avoid being left in the dust in these turbulent times? Frontier's Peter Holle maps out how western Canada's only "have not" province can pull itself out of the slow lane.
For more details contact: Shaila Wise at 786-8854 or swise@winnipegrealtors.ca
Transparency and Accountability in the Public Sector - Panel #3
Speaker: Joseph Quesnel, Policy Analyst
Date: March 20, 2010
Time: 4:35 pm (approx.)
Place: John Dutton Theatre - Calgary Public Library
Hosted by the Macdonald-Cartier Society. For more details contact Immanuel Giulea at 514.577.2669 or immanuel@macdonaldcartier.com
 
Tue February 9, 2010
| Symbol | Current Price |
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| Canadian $ | 0.9369
| | US $ | 1.0673
| | S&P/TSX | 11115.30
| | Dow Jones | 9908.39
| | NASDAQ | 2126.05
| | Crude Oil | 72.84
| | Wheat | 1.94
| | Uranium | 65.00
| | Potash | 101.51
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