Part 1: What ails John Kerry’s drug plan? AIMS in the Globe and Mail
In the third and final US Presidential debate, Democratic presidential candidate Senator John Kerry again denounced the Bush administration for not permitting the re-importation of pharmaceuticals from Canada. In this piece for the Globe and Mail, AIMS author Dr. Brian Ferguson, a noted health economist, explains the economic principles and market realities that make re-importation pure fantasy as a means to control US drug prices.
Go to: www.aims.ca/aimslibrary.asp?ft=4&fd=0&fi=0&id=1029&p=1
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Part 2: Holding the environmental movement to account
On October 4th in Sydney and October 5th in Halifax, AIMS presented breakfast talks with one of the world’s foremost authorities on the impact of environmental activism – Paul Driessen, author of the new book Eco-Imperialism. Driessen contends that the environmental movement has evolved from a grassroots beginning to an 8-billion dollar a year big business. He is disturbed by a convergence of ideology, activism, marketing and politics with no requirement for accountability comparable to that which the business world takes for granted every day. Drawing on examples of ways that élitest Western environmental activists have pursued their own narrow agenda at the expense of the world’s most vulnerable and downtrodden population in the Third World, Mr. Driessen says that it’s time to demand of the environmental movement the same standards of openness and accountability that they are constantly demanding be applied to others.
To read the full text of his presentation and see selected event photos, go to:
www.aims.ca/aimslibrary.asp?ft=6&fd=0&fi=0&id=1030&p=1
See author Paul Driessen on “The Straight Goods, with Brian Crowley”
While in Halifax, Paul Driessen was interviewed for The Straight Goods a new cable show hosted by AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley that debuted last week on Eastlink Cable 10 and which will be broadcast each Wednesday night live at 8 pm Atlantic Time, and re-broadcast on Friday evenings.
The show with Paul Driessen will be broadcast October 27th; if you are in the Eastlink cable service area (250,000 households in NS, PEI and parts of southern NB), you can watch the programme on the television. If you’re outside the Eastlink service area, the link for catching the simultaneous video streaming of the programme on the Internet is: www.eastlink.ca/eltv/webcasting/index.html.
We also plan to post interesting shows such as that with Paul Driessen on our website, so keep an eye open for this development.
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Part 3: AIMS cited as model for community leadership
At a speech in Moncton, John Risley, a member of AIMS’ Advisory Council, called on the business community to step forward into a leadership role and push for innovation and accountability in public policy. Risley explored how measuring, reporting and adjusting results in the public sector is the recipe for success.
He holds up AIMS’ High School report card as a prime example of how leadership in accountability does not have to come from the public sector in order to change the public sector. By setting and reporting standards AIMS is helping schools identify and respond to their weaknesses so that they can get better. It is this private leadership for the public good that Risley believes the business community must both endorse and aggressively pursue in order to achieve lasting change in this region.
To read about Risley’s challenge to his fellow community leaders go to: www.aims.ca/aimslibrary.asp?ft=4&fd=0&fi=0&id=1025&p=1
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Part 4: Student advocates need facts not fantasy
Have rising tuition fees created an insurmountable new barrier for low income students trying to get a university education? Absolutely not, says AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley, and the facts back him up. In contrast to recent assertions by student advocates, Statistics Canada research demonstrates both a narrowing gap in the percentage of high and low income students entering university and that nearly one half of students graduating with a first degree do so entirely debt-free.. Can we do better in helping students pay for their own education? Absolutely, says Crowley.
Read this piece to see why the Canadian Federation of Students’ campaign for free university tuition is a bad idea from almost every point of view: equity, accessibility and affordability.
www.aims.ca/education.asp?typeID=4&id=1026&fd=0&p=1
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Part 5: Property rights work for the seabed too: AIMS at Submerged Lands Management conference
At the 23rd Annual International Submerged Lands Management Conference in Halifax, AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley was asked to present the arguments for a shift from traditional public ownership/trustee arrangements to a regime of mixed public and private property for the management of the seabed.
Read his full remarks at:
www.aims.ca/aimslibrary.asp?ft=3&fd=0&fi=0&id=1028&p=1
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Part 6: Challenges ahead for Membertou Inc.’s business based model of aboriginal self-government
Membertou, a small Cape Breton Mi’kmaq community, is widely considered a leader when it comes to advancing itself in the mainstream economy. AIMS author Dr. Jacquelyn Thayer Scott, explains in this interview with the CB Post, however, that its future successes will depend on how it resolves a number of significant challenges – with succession and cultural protection as the two biggest concerns. “Deep suspicions remain about the ‘corporate model’ (for economic development) and among older band members the notion lingers that business development is a bad thing,” says Scott.
To read the full piece, go to:
www.aims.ca/regionaldevelopment.asp?typeID=4&id=1019&fd=0&p=1
Professor Scott was interviewed on this topic in part because of the recent AIMS paper she wrote entitled ”Doing Business with the Devil Land, sovereignty and corporate partnerships in Membertou Inc.”
To read this paper, go to: www.aims.ca/aimslibrary.asp?ft=1&fd=0&fi=0&id=999&p=1
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Part 7: Reflections on our common continental home – AIMS 10th Anniversary Dinner
Be sure to set aside Tuesday, November 9, 2004 for AIMS’ 10th Anniversary dinner entitled “Reflections on our common continental home: A blueprint for security and commerce in Atlantica and the whole of North America”
Our featured speaker will be former United States Senator and former Secretary of Defense, William S. Cohen. Former Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, will chair the event.
Canada’s relationship with the United States has at times appeared strained since the events of September 11, 2001. Canada’s position on the war in Iraq, the softwood lumber dispute, the BSE crisis in the cattle industry, security lapses and other issues have all served to highlight the importance of our relationship with our closest ally and greatest trading partner.
What is in the future for this relationship? Join us for a rare glimpse into Canada’s relationship with the United States and help AIMS celebrate ten years of contribution to the Canadian public policy debate.
Tickets are CDN $250 per seat, $2,500 for tables of ten.
To register, or for further information, go to www.aims.ca/events.asp?cmPageID=294
Or, contact Wanda Barrett, 902 446 3332, [email protected]
ALREADY REGISTERED? Confirmations are sent within 72 hours of receiving registrations. If you have not received a confirmation note from AIMS, please contact the office immediately – [email protected] or (902) 446-3332.