Economy
Sense and
Nonsense about Deflation
There is much
talk about the global economy being driven into a deflationary spiral as
a consequence of the ongoing financial crisis. But there is also a considerable
amount of mis-information, insists Pierrre Siklos of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, about
what deflation means and its economic implications. In a new briefing,
Siklos explores the origins and consequences of deflation with a view to
putting into proper perspective the relevant economic issues for an economy
that experiences a bout of falling prices.
http://www.cigionline.org/community.igloo?r0=community&r0_script=/scripts/folder/view.script&r0_pathinfo=%2F%7B7caf3d23-023d-494b-865b-84d143de9968%7D%2FPublications%2Fwebfeature%2Fsenseandno&r0_output=xml
Five Pieces of Unfinished Business
from the Federal Budget
Glen Hodgson, Senior Vice-President
and Chief Economist at the Conference
Board of Canada, notes that the Conference Board gave a positive assessment
of the recent federal Budget and its stimulus impact. But, says Hodgson,
the depressing job figures last week simply reinforce the urgent need to
get the stimulus spending started as soon as possible.
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/economics/hot_eco_topics/default/09-02-10/Five_Pieces_of_Unfinished_Business_from_the_Federal_Budget.aspx
One Quarter
of Canadian Workforce Concerned About Holding on to their Jobs
According to a recent Ipsos Reid study on employee relationship
management, 24% of Canadians said they were “very much concerned” or “somewhat
concerned” about being laid off during 2009 because of the recent
market melt-down. Although anxieties are evident throughout the organizational
structure, a breakdown of the various sectors reflects different levels
of concern in different economic segments. Nationwide, Eastern
Canada is
more concerned than Western Canada. http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/pressrelease.cfm?id=4273
Dilemmas of Owners and Workers in
a Risk Society
Both employees and employers face
a variety of shared risks with changing economic conditions and the development
of new products by competitors. A new Canadian Policy Research Networks report
looks at both the risks borne by workers and employers in small IT organizations. They
explore how each group perceives risks in relation to the viability of
the firm. The paper offers an analysis of risk discourse and employment
relations gathered from IT owners and workers in four study countries: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. http://www.cprn.org/documents/51018_EN.pdf
New motor
vehicle sales, December 2008
Statistics
Canada reports that
sales of new motor vehicles fell 14.8% in December to 109,831 units.
This was the largest monthly decline and lowest sales level since January
1998, when an ice storm crippled parts of the country. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/090213/dq090213a-eng.htm
Canada-U.S. Relations
What “Smart Power” Means
for Canada
As a key friend and ally of the United States, Canada should move quickly to accept Washington's invitation to work with its allies
to solve global problems, writes Fen Osler Hampson of Carleton University. With President Obama scheduled
to visit Ottawa on February 19th, this
is no time to be reticent or stand back, he says. Canada's leaders must engage the new U.S. administration on a selective range
of diplomatic fronts while stressing the mutual benefits from bilateral
co-operation in addressing the world's pressing economic, security and
environmental challenges. Hampson notes that partnering with the United States on global issues may also prove
critical to get its attention on a narrower set of border issues ranging
from regulatory reform to facilitating cross-border trade.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/What+smart+power+means+Canada/1229246/story.html
Domestic Politics
Tight Race between Conservatives
and Liberals
The latest tracking by Nanos Research shows that the tight
race between the Conservatives and the Liberals continues: as the Conservatives
are ahead in Western Canada,
while the Liberals hold an advantage in Ontario. Stephen Harper continues to hold
a leadership advantage over the other national leaders. Harper held a 44
point advantage when Stephane Dion was leader of the Liberal Party, yet
since Michael Ignatieff’s ascension as interim leader of the Liberal
Party, the Prime Minister's leadership advantage has decreased to 19 points.
Also of note, Jack Layton's leadership score is down 16 points since the
previous wave of research. http://www.nanosresearch.com/library/polls/POLNAT-W09-T359.pdf
Foreign Policy
Scaling Back Expectations in Afghanistan
Roland Paris of the Centre for International Policy Studies at
the University of Ottawa writes that Canadian military strategists
need to be frank with themselves about what they can and cannot accomplish
in Afghanistan. He
argues that security both within Afghanistan and along its border with Pakistan will remain serious problems for
a long time and it may take even longer for the country to consolidate
its democracy and uphold human rights at a western standard. NATO’s core objectives, therefore,
should be to prevent Afghanistan from posing the kind of threat it
did in the early 1990’s, and to reduce the level of insecurity in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
http://www.sciencessociales.uottawa.ca/cepi-cips/eng/documents/CIPS_PolicyBrief_Paris_Feb2009_000.pdf
Contemporary Piracy in the Horn of Africa
As the instability
in the state of Somalia grows the threat of
piracy in the Gulf of Aden only increases, avows
Patrick Lennox of the University of Calgary's Centre for Military Strategic Studies. Lennox explores the economic
impact of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and what can be done
to help bring stability back to the region.
http://www.cdfai.org/PDF/Contemporary%20Piracy%20off%20the%20Horn%20of%20Africa.pdf
Les Etats-Unis
d’Afrique…et après?
La transformation
de la Commission de l’Union Africain en une Autorité de l’Union,
décidée février 2009 à Addis-Abeba par les
chefs d’Etat, laisse apparaître ce projet de création
des États-Unis d’Afrique se dessiner. Ce qui consacre la rupture
avec l’ordre colonial et néocolonial, écrit Djibril Diop du Centre d’Études et de recherches
internationales. Mais au sein de l’UA, le sujet d’un
gouvernement continental a été depuis longtemps une pomme
de discorde.
http://doc.cerium.ca/serv1/Etats-Unis_d_Afrique1.pdf
India Rising: Implications for Canadian
Business and Public Policy
The Public Policy Forum reports on a recent
conference it convened on the current Indian economic landscape, discuss
opportunities and challenges for Canadian business and how public policy
can better aid commercial relations and collaboration.
http://www.ppforum.ca/common/assets/publications/en/india_rising_for_web.pdf
Public Policy
How Demographic Reality is Reshaping
Education
Charles Cirtwill of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies reviews the
demographic shift in North America in
the next few decades – examining its implications and explaining
how education and educators need to be prepared for these changes.
He forecasts that demands on educators will increase, even as the number
of educators decreases, and argues that we will have to change both what
we teach and how we teach it. http://www.aims.ca/library/CEATalk.pdf
Stories of Housing and Mental Health
Ian Skelton and Richard Mahé of
the Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives portray experiences of housing and mental health as recounted
in 13 in-depth, face-to-face interviews with people living with mental
illnesses as well as family members and care-givers. Qualitative
analysis of these interviews forms the basis for a series of policy proposals
on the provision of housing and support services for the mentally ill.
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/
New Fraser Forum
The Fraser Institute’s monthly public
policy review focuses on access to prescription drugs. Other topics covered include taxation,
stimulus packages, the future of NATO and minimum wage schemes. http://www.fraserinstitute.org/commerce.web/product_files/FraserForum_February2009.pdf
Energy / Environment
National Energy Security from an
Exporter’s Perspective
Canada has laid claim to
being an emerging energy superpower on the basis of both current production
and future reserves, observe Pierre Alvarez, Michael Cleland, and Roger
Gibbins of the Canada West Foundation.
On these measures the claim is strong: Canada is the world’s
largest producer of uranium, third largest producer of natural gas, fifth
largest producer of crude oil, seventh in electricity. As a consequence
they say, discussions of energy security in Canada are either very rare
or only about the security of export markets rather than the security of
domestic supply. The authors conclude that Canada’s current energy
security as a net exporter with huge reserves is no reason for complacency
in a turbulent energy economy. http://www.cwf.ca/V2/files/NationalEnergySecurityJan26.pdf
Wave of the Future: The Case for
Smarter Water Policy
A new C.D. Howe Institute report claims that
the current state of municipal water pricing in Canada is significantly
flawed, with costs that include underfunded water agencies, aging infrastructure
and excessive consumption. Author Steven Renzetti, a Professor at Brock University argues that reforms
are required, including the expanded use of water meters and seasonal surcharges
that better reflect costs. http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/commentary_281.pdf
Science and Technology
Color Boosts Brain Performance
A new University of British Columbia study reconciles a debate that has
long raged among marketers and psychologists: What colour most improves
brain performance and receptivity to advertising, red or blue? Well it
turns out they both can – it just depends on the nature of the task
or message. The study, which could have major implications for advertising
and interior design, finds that red is the most effective at enhancing
our attention to detail, while blue is best at boosting our ability to
think creatively. “Thanks to stop signs, emergency vehicles and teachers’ red
pens, we associate red with danger, mistakes and caution,” says Juliet
Zhu, who conducted the research with UBC PhD candidate Ravi Mehta.
http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/media/releases/2009/mr-09-018.html?src=ubccate
Canadian Universities
The Bologna Conundrum
As the Bologna Process shakes up
higher education in Europe, observers here are trying to gauge
what it means for Canada’s higher education system,
according to Léo Charbonneau, writing for University Affairs. The process may
complicate student mobility between Canada and Europe and may also affect Canadian universities’ efforts
to recruit international students, but no one can say for sure. http://www.universityaffairs.ca/the-bologna-conundrum.aspx
