Radio Project audio
Radio: Change Liquor Laws
In October 2012, a New Brunswick man was arrested for returning from Quebec with cheaper beer. Why? Because monopolies such as the New Brunswick Liquor Corporation are protected by outdated laws that restrict importing alcohol from other provinces. Other liquor corporations in Canada do the same. Their control over distribution and sale of [...]
Radio: Prince Edward Island Teacher Hires
P.E.I. school enrollment is declining. Logically, fewer students should need fewer people to teach them. Instead, P.E.I.'s government has created new teaching positions. This decision will be expensive. The Province already spends 3,000 dollars more, per student, than it did ten years ago. With fewer students and more instructors, spending will increase. Hiring [...]
Radio: Austerity in the Atlantic Provinces (4)
PEI: Some Islanders mistakenly identify small public spending reductions with austerity measures. European countries like Greece and Portugal have genuinely experienced austere conditions, cutting their budgets by a quarter after the Great Recession. In contrast, P.E.I.'s government spends far more money that it did a generation ago. While recent years have seen a [...]
Radio: Measuring Austerity in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is experiencing fiscal challenges, with limited revenues and high spending by provincial governments. Unfortunately, many critics believe that minor spending cuts amount to austerity measures. This is false. European countries like Greece and Portugal have experienced real austerity, cutting their budgets by 25 percent after the Great Recession. Every Atlantic province [...]
Radio: Public Sector in Atlantic Provinces (3)
Newfoundland and Labrador: The size and cost of public sector employment has a major effect on the government’s bottom line. Since 1997, Newfoundland and Labrador's public sector has grown from 84 employees per thousand residents in 1997 to 109 per thousand. Across Canada, the average size of provincial public sectors is 83 [...]
Radio: Atlantic Canada’s Public Sector
The size and cost of public sector employment has a major effect on a government’s bottom line. Atlantic Canada's provincial governments currently employ 96 people per 1,000 residents. Across Canada, the average size of provincial public sectors is 83 per thousand, or 16 per cent less than in our region. Employing far more [...]
Radio: Declining Private Sector Investments
Business must stay competitive to grow our economy. For greater productivity, companies can upgrade equipment and worker training, construct buildings, and fund research and development. Unfortunately, Maritime companies have been investing less. In 2006, they spent over 1300 dollars for every Maritimer on commercial and industrial buildings. Today, they spend just 600. [...]
Radio: Highly Effective First Nations
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 [...]
Radio: e-Government
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 [...]
Radio: Education Spending Levels
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 [...]