Many First Nations are strong examples of good governance and financial success. A new study of 21 indigenous communities, including Nova Scotia's Membertou First Nation, shows that prosperous groups do many things in common. Successful First Nations seize local economic opportunities, whatever their form. They are fiscally responsible. They make good governance a [...]
Delivering effective government services is important for policymakers to get right. Unfortunately, Atlantic Canada lags behind in offering e-services through the internet and mobile devices. Effective e-government makes dealing with state agencies more efficient and convenient for taxpayers and businesses. E-government can also give jurisdictions a competitive economic edge. For instance, the Eastern [...]
HALIFAX, NS & CALGARY, AB – The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, in partnership with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, today released a study about economic and political development among First Nations. Seven Habits of Highly Effective First Nations is co-authored by Dr. Tom Flanagan, Chair of the Aboriginal Futures program at Frontier and Professor [...]
HALIFAX, NS – The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) today released a report examining e-government services offered by the four provinces in Atlantic Canada. The study, entitled e-Government in the Atlantic Provinces: Review and Future Trends, assessed the delivery of 31 e-government services. Overall, Nova Scotia ranked first, followed by New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and [...]
Governments in Atlantic Canada are over-spending on public education. A new study shows that between 2004 and 2014, the provinces spent significantly more money, even as enrollment went down. Adjusted for price changes, Atlantic Canada’s per-student subsidies increased 27 percent over a decade, amounting to about 2,700 more per child. It is unclear [...]
Advocates of higher minimum wages in Atlantic Canada want to help low-income workers. But artificially forcing up wages can actually hurt those employed in low-wage jobs. A new study has found that workers earned less money after Seattle hiked its minimum wage in 2015. Though some workers made more per hour, fewer workers [...]
Education experts agree: critical thinking is an essential skill for today’s students. But to instill this ability in our children, we can’t abandon tools that are proven effective. Traditional education approaches focus on producing competent teachers, serious content, and rigour from children. But these ideas have fallen out of fashion. So-called “student-centred” methods [...]
For nearly 150 years, the constitution has enshrined free trade in Canadian law. Yet to this day, the provinces maintain regulatory hurdles and import bans that restrict the free flow of goods within Canada. These policies may help local interests, but they jeopardize the national economy, drive up costs, and burden consumers. Markets [...]
The federal government is considering a tax exemption for online purchases from the United States under $200. No doubt, this idea emanates from popular frustration with high taxes. Burdened consumers justifiably want a break. Unfortunately, this proposal would be bad policy. As more people shop on American retail websites, government revenues will be [...]
Since the creation of the Supreme Court in 1875, at least one of our country’s top justices has been from Atlantic Canada. But the federal government has announced that it will now open the field country-wide, without regional consideration. A greater pool, it says, will allow for more diverse candidates. This is not [...]