Canada-U.S Relations

The Canadian Mouse Should Get Ready To Roar

The C.D. Howe Institute's President and CEO, Bill Robson, writes in the Globe and Mail on populist and protectionist pressures in Washington and the economic risks facing Canada. Read

 

“Going to Mat” with Americans

Adopting an historical approach to understanding Canada-U.S. relations, Peter Kikkert of the University of Waterloo examines the Operation Polaris controversy in the early Cold War period. Kikkert acknowledges that the Polaris incident can be seen as an American transgression against Canadian sovereignty, but concludes that the resolution of the dispute safeguarded Canada’s sovereignty and solidified a relationship that was built on cooperation, respect, and informal and open dialogue. Read

 

 

International Affairs

Bilateral ‘Snapshot’ of Canada-Pakistan Relations

Amidst deep-rooted regional conflicts, Canada still maintains important trade linkages with Pakistan. The Asia Pacific Foundation’s Ajay Parasram provides statistics on the key aspects of the Canada-Pakistan bilateral relationship. Topics include trade, top industries, foreign aid, demographic linkages/statistics, migration and citizenship, religion, academic and tourism. Read

 

 

Economy

New Estimates of Multifactor Productivity Growth for the Canadian Provinces

A recent report from the Centre for the Study of Living Standards presents new estimates of multifactor productivity for the Canadian provinces for the period 1997-2007. Reflecting differences in labour and capital productivity, multifactor productivity growth varies greatly by province. The study finds that Newfoundland and Labrador enjoyed the strongest multifactor productivity growth and Alberta the weakest. Read

 

 

Energy / Environment

Low-Carbon Fuel Standards: Driving in the Wrong Direction

The low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) environmental policy currently being pursued by many Canadian provinces has many shortfalls, writes Benjamin Dachis of the C.D. Howe Institute. Instead of LCFS, Dachis argues that an economy-wide cap-and-trade system would be more economically efficient and more certain to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Read

 

 

Arctic Affairs

Developing a Coherent Plan to Deal with the Northwest Passage

Imagine the media storm surrounding a 10,000-gallon oil spill at the entrance to the Northwest Passage. For reason such as this, the time has come for Canada to develop a comprehensive strategy to attain control over its Arctic waters, writes Captain James Cotter of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies. Cotter asserts that a coherent continental security plan must be established that satisfies the concerns of both Canada and the U.S. Read

 

The Reluctant Arctic Power

The core Arctic issues facing the U.S. are resource development and international circumpolar relations, writes Rob Huebert of the University of Calgary. Traditionally, American policy has dwelt with the Arctic and Antarctic simultaneously. Recently, however, the decision was made to develop an Arctic-only policy, with the U.S. Arctic Region Policy release in January 2009. The policy is both frank and direct, and it has significant ramifications for all Arctic nations — Canada included. Read

 

 

Public Policy

Becoming a City Where Everyone Belongs

The Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council is capitalizing on the experience and reputation of its members to address serious poverty issues in the city, according to the Caledon Institute of Social Policy. A recent paper from the Institute presents the Council’s framework for achieving its goal of a bright, inclusive future for all Winnipeg residents. Read

 

Manitobans Call for a Poverty Reduction Plan

Seeking to include the excluded, a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Manitoba highlights the need to combat the numerous inequalities created by poverty. The report explains how reducing poverty in Manitoba will require the coordinated efforts of all levels of government. Read

 

Public Sector Collective Bargaining: Is It Time to End the Strike?

When public sector employees exercise their right to strike, the clients for their services suffer more than the direct employers, asserts John Strawbridge of the Institute for Research on Public Policy. Strawbridge posits that there alternatives to the disruptions suffered with strikes in the public sector, but they require taking a longer-term view. Read

 

Communicating the Health Care Innovation Agenda to Canadians

In a time of increasing fiscal constraint in health care, politicians emphasize “innovation,” yet they seldom define the concept for Canadians, according to an article from the Institute for Research on Public Policy. The authors argue that governments need to better demonstrate the future financial benefit from health care investments. Read

 

 

Federal-Provincial Relations

Deconstructing Canada in an Age of Global Competition

According to Carin Holroyd of the Institute for Research on Public Policy, the perennial Canadian task of balancing federal-provincial powers and responsibilities faces a new challenge in the age of economic globalization. Holroyd asserts that over the past two decades, provincial and territorial governments have become increasingly active in promoting international trade and investment. Furthermore, she says, this paradiplomacy could be advantageous to Canada if it is coordinated properly with federal initiatives. Read

 

 

Technology & Innovation

Innovation in Canada?

Richard Hawkins of the University of Calgary raises questions about the degree to which global innovation indicators enable us to understand the historical dynamics of innovation in Canada. By focusing on the automotive and telecommunications sectors, Hawkins critically assesses some of the major successes and mistakes of Canadian industrial policy. Read

 

Bridging Canadian Technology Small and Medium Enterprises

Canada's tax credits for research and development need to be complemented by other direct incentives that may help small technology firms become eligible to venture capital, writes Jorge Niosi of l’Université du Québec à Montréal. The author asserts that the American Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, imitated by Japan, is the best model for such an incentive, and urges Canada to consider its adoption. Read

 

Business Innovation in Canada

Ian Stewart of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards reviews the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) Expert Panel report on business innovation. He finds the report comprehensive in its gathering and assessment of available research, and prolific in its analysis of innovation as an outcome of business strategy formation. Read I Read the CCA Report