For more information on any of these topics, please visit our document library to search through our publications.
Part One: A conversation with a Nobel Laureate about equalization
James Buchanan was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in economics for his work on the public choice theory of economics. As his early writings were highly influential in the design of equalization programmes such as Canada’s, Buchanan is known as one of the “fathers of equalization”. His more recent work has highlighted the possibility that equalization programmes can be captured and destroyed by politics and bad design. He spoke at a conference on equalization co-sponsored by AIMS, the Montreal Economic Institute , and the Frontier Centre for Public Policy in Montreal on 25 October 25, 2001.Following this conference he sat down for an interview to discuss hischanged perspectives on equalization.
*************************************************
Part Two: Canada, US need a wall we can live with
The stakes at the US-Canada border now are as high as they have ever been for Canadians, and AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley takes a look at these stakes in this regular column. He concludes that this country needs to make absolutely clear to the Americans that we are a trustworthy partner who is ready to work with them to create a well-policed continental perimeter within which we can all feel as safe as possible. Then we can get on with the business of dismantling the barriers to the movement of goods and services between our two nations on which our mutual prosperity depends.
*********************************************************************
Part Three: Pulling Politics out of Power – AIMS in Atlantic Progress
In a thought-provoking article in Atlantic Progress, AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley challenges the preconception that deregulation in the electricity industry seems to have created nothing but grief for those who have tried it, and the benefits seem elusive. The old local monopolies that serve captive provincial markets appear to have brought stability of supply and reasonable reliability of service, so why rock the boat?
For Crowley, safety does not lie in resisting the changes that are sweeping the electricity industry, but in steady deliberate movement toward deregulation, in order to capture the technological, economic and industrial benefits that it offers. Reform of the electricity market is an idea whose time has come, and the Maritimes, like the rest of the country, have a great deal to gain from it.
************************************************
Part Four: AIMS in Business Voice on the 11th of September
In the feature story of this month’s Business Voice magazine, AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley discusses the impacts for the Atlantic business community of the tragic events of 11 September. Crowley sets the tone for the article by emphasising the special nature of the relationship between Canada and the US, “beyond the business ties, Canada and the US are bound together by affection and emotion.” With this as the backdrop, the questions of consumer confidence, free flow of goods, the increased pressure for a continental perimeter and the impact on travel and tourism are all considered. This wide-ranging article provides a solid foundation for anyone seeking to understand the special impacts 11 September will have on Atlantic Canada as we come to terms with the tragedy that has befallen
our closest friend and trading partner.
*************************************************
Part Five: Council should see harbour cleanup process through
Halifax Regional Council put in place a sound bidding process for its public-private partnership to clean up the Halifax region’s waste water problem, and it has received some good bids. After satisfying itself that its own process has been followed, Council should see it through. These are the conclusions reached in this week’s regular newspaper column by AIMS President, Brian Lee Crowley. In this column, Crowley looks at the appropriate criteria for comparing bids, the experience with private water companies in other jurisdictions, the open and fair process that was developed to secure and screen the current bids, and the strengths of the bid that was unanimously recommended by the selection committee.
************************************************
Part Six: Do equalization payments exist to keep poor in their place?
This is just one of the provoking questions that was raised during “Equalization: Welfare Trap or Helping Hand?” a conference sponsored by AIMS, the Montreal Economic Institute , and the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. This article from the Montreal Gazette discusses why Nobel Laureate James Buchanan and a room full of senior economists called equalization a bribe. Exploring the idea that, without this money, thousands more from Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and the rest would flood into Toronto and Calgary creating bigger cities, concentrating the money and skill needed for excellence, and world-class competitiveness.
*************************************************
Part Seven: In Memoriam – John C. (Jack) Hartery
The Board and staff of AIMS were saddened to learn of the recent death of one of the members of the Institute’s Board of Directors, John (Jack) C. Hartery, recently retired President and General Manager of Stora Enso PortHawkesbury Limited. We asked another member of our Board of Directors, AIMS Nova Scotia Vice-Chairman George Cooper, a long-time business associate and friend of Jack’s, to write a few words about this dedicated Nova Scotian and valued community leader.
*************************************************
Part Eight: AIMS seeks Special Projects Manager
The Special Projects Manager is a member of the executive team and holds critical responsibility in several areas, including: the strategy, planning and execution of the communications function, the development and co-ordination of fundraising activities, and the administration and execution of several major projects within the Institute’s research programme. The position reports to the Director of Operations, and is located at the Institute’s head office in Halifax. The Special Projects
Manager works closely with the Institute’s Board of Directors, which is composed of some of the best-known leaders of the business, professional and university communities in Atlantic Canada and nationally.
************************************************
To **unsubscribe** from AIMS On-Line, send a message to
that contains in the body of the message the command
unsubscribe
and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too.
To **subscribe**, send a message to
that contains in the body of the message the command
subscribe
and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use subscribe in the subject, too.