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Media Release - Cities Should Fight Poverty, Not Increase It

By 2010, the majority of the world’s population was urban, rather than rural, for the first time. People abandon rural poverty for the hope of a better life in the city. People do not flock to cities “for the fountains” or for “good” urban planning. Densification policy is associated with higher house prices. Quite simply, when the supply of any good is artificially constrained– in this case land– then costs will rise excessively. Because housing is the largest element of household expenditure, it increases the cost of living, reduces affluence and increases poverty.


The Future of Arts Spending

While the mainstream media struggles to find new paths to profitability in the digital age, Canadian artists are finding new ways to make money that don’t rely on government funding. For decades, musicians, filmmakers and other artists have had to rely on Canada Council funding, tax credits and countless political maneuvers to survive, but many of them have now found a better way. (~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.

In a world of declining fish stocks Manitoba’s lakes are blessed with abundant resources - why then are many of Manitoba’s Fishermen living at or below the poverty line? Why are millions of pounds of fish being dumped back into our lakes by Fishermen each year, a waste of this precious resource and a source of pollution to our waters?

~60 min 

December 7, 2012 — Saving Our Industry, Our Communities, Our Environment (Amanda Stevenson)
While the mainstream media struggles to find new paths to profitability in the digital age, Canadian artists are finding new ways to make money that don’t rely on government funding. For decades, musicians, filmmakers and other artists have had to rely on Canada Council funding, tax credits and countless political maneuvers to survive, but many of them have now found a better way. (~2 min.)

~2 min 

October 19, 2012 — The Future of Arts Spending
Raising the minimum wage does little to combat poverty. Manitoba’s minimum wage rose to $10.25 an hour on October 1st.  Saskatchewan is the only Canadian province to bring in a balanced budget this year, but their minimum wage of $9.50 is the lowest in the country. (~2 min.)

~2 min 

October 12, 2012 — Minimum Wage Increases Are the Wrong Way to Fight Poverty
Aruna Papp’s memoir Unworthy Creature, published by McClelland & Stewart, is due in the spring 2012. She is also the author of Culturally-driven violence against women: A growing problem in Canada’s immigrant communities, a study published by the Frontier Centre. (~15 min.)

~15 min 

October 12, 2012 — Gender, Culture, Religion (CHED)
Violent crime is always in the news. But are Canadian cities really all that dangerous? In the news business, the order of the day for many is “if it bleeds, it leads”. The daily news has always been fuelled with high profile murders. (~2 min.)

~2 min 

September 14, 2012 — No Reason to Panic over High Profile Shootings
Immigration has emerged as a major concern, in both Canada and the U.S. Millions of foreign nationals live  illegally in the U.S. and the numbers continue to rise. As he goes for a second term in November, Barack Obama is trying to appear tough on the issue, but he has to walk a fine line.  (~2 min.)

~2 min 

June 29, 2012 — Provincial Influence Would Improve Immigration
Minister Kenney will discuss how we can ensure Canada 's immigration system contributes to economic health and our country's international competitiveness. From Lunch on the Frontier speech in Regina, May 18, 2012. (~50 min.)

~39 min 

June 7, 2012 — Transforming Immigration
Aruna Papp joins Dave Ruhterford to discuss the issue of honour based violence against women. She also talks about her memoir: Examining the real life story of honour, shame and love. (~20 min)

~20 min 

May 8, 2012 — Unworthy Creature: A Punjabi Daughter's Memoir of Honour, Shame and Love (QR77)
Some claim that governments can reduce poverty by raising social assistance rates. But a study done for the Frontier Centre concluded that a more effective approach is to increase the number of people who can get off welfare and work. Rick August knows the system well. He was a senior manager dealing with social assistance in the public sector for more than 30 years. (~2 min)

~2 min 

April 27, 2012 — Canada's Welfare System has Failed as a Strategy for Fighting Poverty
Joined by Rick August, Regina based researcher. Rick has just released a report for the Frontier Centre on Public Policy. In his paper, ‘Taming Two Dragons: Welfare and the future of Income Support’, August argues that welfare has helped create a chronically workless underclass. Callers call in to discuss. (~22 min.)

~22 min 

April 23, 2012 — Taming Two Dragons (CBK-R)
An opinion piece by an independent social policy analyst and author of the report ‘Taming Two Dragons: Poverty, Welfare and the future of Income Support.' says it’s time to end welfare. Do you agree or disagree? (~34 min.)

~33 min 

April 23, 2012 — Is it Time to End Poverty? (CJME-R)
Aruna Papp joins Dave Rutherford to discuss honour killings in Canada. How can we address the issue effectively? It begins with the correct training. (~12 min)

~12 min 

January 31, 2012 — Honourless 'Honour Killings' (CHQR)

Latest Publications

Media Release - Cities Should Fight Poverty, Not Increase It

— April 16, 2013

Today the Frontier Centre released the backgrounder Toward More Prosperous Cities by Wendell Cox. The objective of public policy should be to achieve wide-spread affluence and eradicate poverty. Cities, urban policy, and urban transport are means to facilitate this objective, not ends themselves.



Author and Activist Speaks Out Against Honour Killings

— March 4, 2013

Aruna Papp spent the past three decades devoted to helping Southeast Asian women in Canada and serves as research associate with the Winnipeg-based Frontier Centre for Public Policy. She is also an outspoken advocate for women from cultures that devalue females and she is most appalled at the murders of females at the hands of their fathers and brothers.



Change the Culture of Rape

— January 18, 2013

India is an economic giant embracing modernization, yet the concept of honour is still linked to sexual purity. In December 2012, 23-year-old Jyoti Singh Pandey boarded a bus on her way home with a male friend after watching a movie at a mall. Six men drove the bus around New Delhi for two and half hours while they raped her with an iron rod, and she died thirteen days later.



The Right Moves on Immigration

— January 3, 2013

On December 15, legislation aimed at curbing abuse of Canada’s asylum policies took effect. The government wants to introduce a faster and more equitable process for adjudicating asylum claims, but the opposition parties and refugee lobby strongly resist the changes.



Calling Out Honour-Based Violence

— November 30, 2012

In communities where family honour is tied to cultural values, daughters are discouraged from choosing their own clothes, friends, careers, and life partners. Women are valued based on their purity and virginity at the time of marriage, and face horrific abuse for exerting independence. Honour-based violence is different from domestic abuse and is an issue in Canada.



Aruna Papp, MA, ADR, MEd.

— November 1, 2012

The Frontier Centre interviewed Aruna Papp, MA, ADR, MEd., who has written extensively on the issue of domestic violence in the South Asian immigrant community. She is also the author of Culturally-driven violence against women: A growing problem in Canada’s immigrant communities, a study published by the Frontier Centre.




Recent Updates


View More Policy Notes

Policy Notes - A One Page Policy Discussion

2013-01-18 – Change the Culture of Rape

2013-01-03 – The Right Moves on Immigration

2012-11-30 – Calling Out Honour-Based Violence

» View More Policy Notes

View More Frontier Backgrounders

Frontier Backgrounders - Short Analyses

2011-11-02 – Smart Growth Hurts the Urban Poor

2007-07-03 – Climate Change in Disarray – An African Perspective

2003-02-03 – Harvard Project Lessons on Self-Government

» View More Frontier Backgrounders

View More Perspectives

Perspectives - Thoughts from the Advisory Board...

2011-03-25 – Earth Hour - A Dissent

2010-12-20 – UNICEF’s Guilt Trip

2010-06-18 – 'Poverty' Calls For Precision

» View More Perspectives

View More Policy Series

Policy Series - Longer Reports & Studies

2012-04-17 – Taming Two Dragons

2011-12-15 – A Policy Roadmap for Solutions to Suicide Among Young Women of South Asian Origin

2011-11-04 – More Immigrants Needed to Maintain Saskatchewan's Boom

» View More Policy Series

View More Conversations

Conversations - with Policy Innovators

2012-11-01 – Aruna Papp, MA, ADR, MEd.

2012-06-08 – Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism

2011-11-30 – Frank de Jong, Former Green Party Leader

» View More Conversations

View More Special Reports and Publications

Special Reports and Publications

2009-06-26 – NO Second Class Citizens

2009-03-23 – Private Water Management Helps The Poor

2008-11-27 – For Aboriginals, Life is Better in the City

» View More Special Reports and Publications

View More Rural Renaissance Notes

Rural Renaissance Notes

2006-05-20 – Harper Panders on Trade

2006-04-24 – The Multiplier Effect

2004-12-29 – Eco-imperialism Won't Save the Environment

» View More Rural Renaissance Notes

View More PowerPoint Slides from Events

PowerPoint Slides from Events

2011-11-28 – Untax Buildings, Uptax Land

2010-03-08 – Where Are Aboriginal Affairs in Canada Headed?

2006-06-21 – Harry's Policy Manifesto

» View More PowerPoint Slides from Events

View More Aboriginal Voices from Ground Zero

Aboriginal Voices from Ground Zero

2008-01-14 – New Funding for Native Entrepreneurs Positive Move

2007-11-23 – Elliott Flett R.I.P.

2007-10-31 – A Solution to the Gang Problem?

» View More Aboriginal Voices from Ground Zero

View More Worth a Look

Worth a Look - In our Virtual Library...

2013-02-21 – The Minority Youth Unemployment Act

2013-01-15 – We have met the 1%, and he is us

2012-11-22 – Can Goldman Sachs help the homeless?

» View More Worth a Look

View More Modern Environmentalist

Modern Environmentalist

2007-07-27 – Live Earth Remedy Deadly for Africans

2006-08-10 – Organic Food and Humvees Are Both Eco-Wasteful

2005-07-26 – Corporate Social Responsibility in Peru

» View More Modern Environmentalist

View More Charticles

Charticles - A Graphical Look at Issues

2007-09-11 – Prairie Spending Patterns Show No Evidence of Child-Care Crisis

2006-04-20 – Subsidies at Root of Farm-Income Crisis

2005-12-23 – Higher Prices, Fewer Choices – Manitoba’s Rent Control Failure

» View More Charticles

View More Frontier Centre in the Media

Frontier Centre in the Media

2013-03-04 – Author and Activist Speaks Out Against Honour Killings

2012-05-22 – Ottawa Lauds Gov't Immigration Changes

2012-01-20 – Honour Killings in Canada: An Undeniable Reality!

» View More Frontier Centre in the Media

View More Frontier Media Appearances

Frontier Media Appearances

2012-10-12 – Gender, Culture, Religion (CHED)

2012-05-08 – Unworthy Creature: A Punjabi Daughter's Memoir of Honour, Shame and Love (QR77)

2012-04-23 – Taming Two Dragons (CBK-R)

» View More Frontier Media Appearances

View More Frontier Radio Commentary

Frontier Radio Commentary

2012-10-19 – The Future of Arts Spending

2012-10-12 – Minimum Wage Increases Are the Wrong Way to Fight Poverty

2012-09-14 – No Reason to Panic over High Profile Shootings

» View More Frontier Radio Commentary

View More Frontier Audio (Speeches/Events)

Frontier Audio (Speeches/Events)

2012-12-07 – Saving Our Industry, Our Communities, Our Environment (Amanda Stevenson)

2012-06-07 – Transforming Immigration

2011-11-30 – Untax Buildings, Uptax Land (de Jong)

» View More Frontier Audio (Speeches/Events)

View More Frontier Recommended Audio

Frontier Recommended Audio

2009-02-10 – Will the 'Nanny State' Be Replaced by the 'Daddy State?'

2008-10-09 – Stop the War on the Poor (CHQR)

2007-10-25 – The Age of Abundance (Cato Audio)

» View More Frontier Recommended Audio

View More Frontier Channel - Video

Frontier Channel - Video

2009-09-25 – Big Bear Award

2008-10-09 – Energy, Climate Change and the War on the Poor (Innis)

2007-06-27 – A Path to Prosperity for First Nations - Calvin Helin

» View More Frontier Channel - Video

View More Frontier Recommended Video

Frontier Recommended Video

2012-01-17 – Minimum wage 101

2012-01-03 – Steven Pinker on the Myth of Violence

2011-10-20 – Thatcher on Wealth Creation

» View More Frontier Recommended Video

Feedback @ Frontier
RE: Immigration a key to maintaining Saskatchewan's Boom — November 7, 2011

We have the manpower in our country to fill the labour shortages and to replace aging Baby Boomers.  Our Aboriginal reserves in most instances have well over 80% unemployed simply because in most of the reserve areas there are few, if any other employers. Our government has failed to bite the bullet and should have long before this indicated that each family would be provided a reasonable sized home in the city or larger towns nearest to the reserves. Social assistance and training of employable family members would fill the shortages to replace aging Baby Boomers as referred to in this email from the Frontier Centre.  The family members in return would have to give up their current rights to live on the reserves.

The unemployment problems existing on most of the reserves would then be resolved and the aboriginals could integrate into our society for the benefit of all involved – as have our past immigrants to our country have done and continue to do when they come to Canada.

Stephen Marlowe
Edmonton, Alberta

RE: 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... (more) -- E-mail from Manitoba

RE: Five Single Rate Tax Thoughts — October 11, 2009

David Seymour, director of the Frontier Center for Public Policy (Saskatchewan office), has written an important paper that should help frame the debate on tax policy for all of Canada’s provinces. "Five Single Rate Tax Thoughts," presents a compelling case that Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and the other provinces would benefit from enacting a low flat tax that has given Alberta the best investment and work climate in Canada. - Alvin Rabushka, David and Joan Traitel Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, California

 

RE: New Funding for Native Entrepreneurs Positive Move — January 14, 2008
Excellent article on a subject most Canadian have no knowledge. You might follow this up with one documenting the number of successful actions against organizations that do not follow proper procedure re terminating employees who have 'offended' someone of importance. E-mail from Manitoba
RE: Does PM Want to End Native Poverty? — August 25, 2005

Dear Mr. Sandberg: I have to say, kudos to you for being so honest regarding the new ideas by the Liberals to pour money down the drain.

I used to work as a probation officer and I saw first hand how money is abused. Your right, the money gets to the reserves and the leaders spend it on themselves, their family and friends and everyone else suffers. It made me sick to my stomach and I was so glad when Robert Nault was trying to change things... then it all collapsed and my hope for accountability was gone because I agree with you 100%, the leaders are the reason their communities are poor.

It just made me ill.... and if someone was doing their job i.e. keeping in budget and had money in their account, the leaders help themselves to it without asking.

I am currently at another reserve and its very similar, the Chief is always gone (in the cities, hanging at the fancy restraints, casinos, bars) while the community is left to deal with whatever misfortunate is going on i.e. sexual assaults, spousal assaults (all deemed as every day regular occurrences and don't warrant the chiefs presence) he may show up for a suicide if its a friend or relative.

I have worked in the correctional system, the court system and its all the same, its everybody else's fault, never those that are actually accountable "the leaders of their communities", we cannot heal other peoples back yards, they have to do it themselves and your right, money is not the answer, unless it is used for its intent over a long period of time.

Anyway, I am always angry when I hear so much about how the white man does this and that and its their fault because what I have seen, is this: The white man isn't around to abuse anymore, natives are harming each other, they are full of hate, jealousy and negativity because their leaders aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing, taking care of their issues and their people.

So, what can we do about it? E-mail from Manitoba

RE: Poverty Policies Tend to Impoverish — September 15, 2007
Perhaps letter writer Andrew Bonner should have taken more than just a quick glance around the world when discussing the successes and failures of laissez-faire economics. Ironically, the letter writer lives in London, England, which is proving to be one of the great success stories of laissez-faire economics in the past quarter century. Through reduced regulation and an increased focus on attracting foreign investment, this centre has reversed its general decline and is now, arguably, the most important financial centre in the world and certainly in Europe. Yet another success story is a short plane trip away in Ireland, where economic growth rates have been among the highest in Europe for years, due in large part to low taxation and low government spending policies. Meanwhile, on the continent, in the so-called high-tax countries of France, Italy and Germany, economic growth has been stagnant, resulting in high unemployment and social discourse. Even Sweden, which is often cited by proponents of social welfare policies, has felt the rising pressures on its fiscal policies. In light of this, the people of Sweden recently elected a more fiscally conservative government, as did the French and Germans. It is incorrect to blindly state that the best way to alleviate poverty is the inefficient and wasteful social welfare systems currently in place in Canada and Manitoba. - Letter to editor, Winnipeg Free Press, Craig White, Winnipeg
RE: Devil in the Donuts — February 24, 2005

"Mr. Penner called us the "doughnut-fighting duo." But we are not after doughnuts. Rather, we fight a growing health epidemic and the costs it poses to our health-care system.

Our motion calling on government, in consultation with all stakeholders, to eliminate manufactured trans fats from foods will ensure that Canadians win this fight."

STEVEN FLETCHER, Member of Parliament Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia

PAT MARTIN, Member of Parliament Winnipeg Centre

Read more and Rolf Penner's response

RE: Poverty Policies Tend to Impoverish — September 13, 2007
If Holle prefers to live in a society in which the people's elected representatives can't intervene in the economy for the common good, he need not push it on us all. He could just move to Guatemala. - Letter to editor, Winnipeg Free Press, Andrew Bonner, London England
RE: Unravelling Child Poverty — December 1, 2003

Well said! Short, to the point and factual – but facts that are black and white not grey. Too often it seems that groups and politicians twist facts around for their own agenda. The fact that your article points out that governments have spent gobs of cash on the poor yet the levels of poverty have not changed proves that the methods don’t work. - Email from Winnipeg, December 10, 2003

Kudos for taking on the poverty industry on this issue. Keep up the good work. - Email from Winnipeg, December 4, 2003

Frontier Flashback
Our Skyrocketing Living Standards
There has been an explosion in living standards in the United States and Canada, in most of Europe, in Japan, and in other places around the world that has brought the richest one billion people to what our counterparts 50 years ago would have considered the life of the rich.
Minimum Wage Hikes Miss The Target and Cause Collateral Damage
Politicians love to raise the minimum wage because it makes it look like they’re helping the poor without incurring a direct expense to the treasury. But minimum wage hikes have real costs, even if they are sometimes hidden.
New Funding for Native Entrepreneurs Positive Move
Who in their right minds would want to invest 20 or 30 thousand dollars in a small business in a place where a slip-of-the-tongue or, God forbid, mentioning the need for an audit of the band books or supporting a new group for band council would place your entire venture at risk of closure?
Taming Two Dragons
Welfare pays people not to work, and we should not be surprised that it creates more of what it pays for. Whereas a rational social policy would encourage economic engagement, welfare has encouraged chronic unemployment and economic marginalization. The welfare model is a failure of vision. It has, over the last half-century, consigned hundreds of thousands of Canadians to a life of diminished well-being, low achievement and diminished happiness.
Deconstructing the Aboriginal Problem
In 1875, "five dollars was enough to buy five acres of land in southern Manitoba. . . . That land now sells for $1,000 an acre." In other words, if the treaty money had increased in value by the same proportion, it would be worth $5,000 a year per person. That translates into about $400 a month for each individual, and that's where Allard would direct it. Not into the pockets of tribal leaders, but to those who now live by their not-so-tender mercies.
Happy Birthday, Sir Roger
One of the reasons there is so little faith or interest in politics is that there are so few politicians like Sir Roger. Most modern politicians appear to deal with their own political survival first and long-term solutions second. They also have a tendency to favour ideological expectations and the vested interests in existing solutions rather than pragmatically confronting root problems. If nothing else, a few more politicians like New Zealand’s Sir Roger would make politics a lot more interesting.
Alberta Welfare Reform
Four years ago, the government of Alberta began an aggressive program to get people off welfare. In terms of its first objective, reducing the number of people on public assistance, the program has been spectacularly successful. The caseload in Alberta has fallen by nearly 60%, from more than 94,000 to fewer than 40,000. But have the changes caused suffering? According to a recent study conducted by the Canada West Foundation (CWF) in Calgary, not much at all. The study took a unique approach. It directly asked many of the thousands of affected individuals and families how the reforms had changed their lives. The answers were revealing.
Ranking Manitoba's First Nations
A fundamental human principle—that ideas have consequences—teaches that every error in public policy has an equal and sometimes more powerful corrective. There are better ways for governments to conduct their affairs, and objective tools exist for improving complex systems of self-rule.
Media Release - Rowdy Activists Offer Noise But Not Solutions To World’s Water Woes
The vast majority of the management of the world’s waterworks are in government hands, where political decisions are made to ignore necessary infrastructure upgrades. The result is that health, and especially the health of the poor, suffers. Government ownership is most often the problem, not the solution, on water quality issues.

Upcoming Events

More events coming soon. Please join us then as we explore the frontier of public policy.


Yes

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


Thu May 23, 2013

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