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.

A Hospital Case – May 23, 2013
SAINT GORAN’S hospital is one of the glories of the Swedish welfare state. It is also a laboratory for applying business principles to the public sector. The hospital is run by a private company, Capio, which in turn is run by a consortium of private-equity funds, including Nordic Capital and Apax Partners. The doctors and nurses are Capio employees, answerable to a boss and a board. Doctors talk enthusiastically about “the Toyota model of production” and “harnessing innovation” to cut costs.

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.

To Eat or Heat? That’s the EU’s Question – May 16, 2013
For a growing number of Europeans, their continent’s global warming policies have forced them to decide whether to heat their homes or buy food. In short they must choose whether to “Heat or Eat,” which was the title of a talk by a British climate policy expert delivered in Calgary Tuesday.

B.C. Vote Shifted on One Word: Pipelines – May 15, 2013
The NDP looked way ahead before voters went to the polls in British Columbia. Then it all changed. Why? One word: “Pipelines.” Or more precisely, two: “Kinder Morgan.”

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.

Manitoba Government Spending Rising Rapidly – May 13, 2013
With provincial government expenditures rising far in excess of inflation since 1999, Manitoba does not have a case for raising any of its taxes, which are among the highest in Canada. The province clearly has a spending problem, not a lack of revenue problem, and simply needs to manage spending in more innovative and smarter ways.

Media Release - Barry Cooper Reviews Bricker and Ibbitson’s The Big Shift – May 10, 2013
Professor Barry Cooper reviews Bricker and Ibbitson’s book The Big Shift and discusses the implications for Canadian identity and over all policy.

The Big Shift – May 10, 2013
Professor Barry Cooper reviews Bricker and Ibbitson’s book The Big Shift, and emphasises that Canada is entering an era of greater plurality when it comes to the way in which we understands who we are as a country.

In Defense of Carbon Dioxide – May 9, 2013
Of all of the world's chemical compounds, none has a worse reputation than carbon dioxide. Thanks to the single-minded demonization of this natural and essential atmospheric gas by advocates of government control of energy production, the conventional wisdom about carbon dioxide is that it is a dangerous pollutant. That's simply not the case. Contrary to what some would have us believe, increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will benefit the increasing population on the planet by increasing agricultural productivity.

Alberta government needs new approach to Keystone XL pipeline lobbying – May 8, 2013
Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver is right to label climate activist Dr. James Hansen’s end-of the-world proclamations as nonsense. But Oliver makes a strategic mistake when he actively promotes the hypothesis that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activities are causing dangerous global warming.

Drones Hit New Turf: U.S. Farmland – May 7, 2013
Farmers are starting to investigate the use of drones for a decidedly nonmilitary purpose: monitoring crops and spraying pesticides. As the spring growing season unfolds, universities already are working with agricultural groups to experiment with different types of unmanned aircraft outfitted with sensors and other technologies to measure and protect crop health.

The Crocus Story - An Insider's Perspective (Dalgliesh) – May 6, 2013
PowerPoint slides which accompanied Jack Dalgliesh's speech The Crocus Story – An Insider’s Perspective that he gave in Winnipeg on April 30, 2013.

Manitoba Has It Right On First Nation Equality – May 1, 2013
The federal NDP should stand united with its Manitoba provincial counterpart in supporting legislation that will ensure equitable property division between spouses on First Nations reserves.

Media Release - Frontier Centre’s Rod Clifton appointed Professor Emeritus – April 30, 2013
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is pleased to announce that Rod Clifton, a Senior Research Fellow, will be named Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

Media Release - Eco-Fascists – April 25, 2013
Professor Barry Cooper reviews Elizabeth Nickson’s controversial 2012 book about “eco-fascism” and considers its implications for policy development in Canada.

Eco-Fascists – April 25, 2013
Professor Barry Cooper reviews Elizabeth Nickson’s controversial book “eco-fascism” and discusses the threat that radical conservationism poses to the development of smart environmental policy in Canada.