[HALIFAX] — Nationally known statesman, lawyer, business leader and former Alberta Premier Hon. Peter Lougheed has joined the Advisory Council of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, announced AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley today.

Mr. Lougheed has been a strong supporter of the Institute’s work to stimulate people both regionally and nationally to think in new and creative ways about the social and economic challenges that we face. He was the guest speaker a year ago at AIMS’ fifth anniversary banquet where he spoke on the theme of how Alberta had made a success of oil and gas.

“AIMS work is becoming required reading for people concerned about the quality of public policy across the country,” said Mr. Lougheed. “Not only is their analysis always thoughtful and well-documented, but they consistently propose constructive alternatives to current policies, where appropriate.”

According to the Institute’s President, Mr. Lougheed’s presence on the Advisory Council ensures that AIMS will benefit from the advice of another prominent figure with a national vision but a deep knowledge of Atlantic Canada. Mr. Lougheed has strong family roots in Nova Scotia, and he has advised several governments in the region on policy matters, including in the oil and gas field.

“The Institute’s ability to seek advice from Mr. Lougheed on current policy issues will strengthen our credibility, both within the region and nationally”, according to AIMS President Crowley. “This is especially timely as we begin our series of papers on the future of the offshore oil and gas industry.”

AIMS is an award-winning public policy think tank based in Halifax. Two of its recent publications are up for prestigious awards this year. Road to Growth: How Lagging Economies Become Prosperous has been nominated for the Sir Antony Fisher Award for excellence in think tank publications, and Retreat from Growth: Atlantic Canada and the Negative-Sum Economy has been nominated for the Donner Book Prize for the best book on Canadian public policy in 2000.

The Institute’s Advisory Council is made up of prominent Canadians who have kindly consented to give the Institute the benefit of their advice and experience in a variety of areas.

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