Economic Development Archives

Harper tells AIMS Luncheon that Atlantic Canada does not need “some new grand scheme”

By Atlantic Institute for Market Studies| 2002-09-20T00:00:00+00:00 September 20th, 2002|In the Media|

Stephen Harper ventured back to Atlantic Canada on Friday. Speaking at an Economic Leadership Speakers series Luncheon hosted by AIMS, the Greater Halifax Partnership, Corporate Research Associates and Deloitte & Touche, Harper sidestepped earlier remarks that inflamed regional tensions and instead focused on a positive prescription for growth and development. Read this Canadian Press piece from the Halifax Chronicle Herald to see how the talk was received by the national media.

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Borderlines: Canada in North America Conference

By Brian Lee Crowley| 2016-04-04T18:58:29+00:00 September 15th, 2002|Op-ed|

At the first of four national conferences to launch a national dialogue on Canada's role and place in North America, AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley was invited to talk about how continental integration is affecting Canada's regional policy. In his presentation, he spoke about how the 1989 Free Trade Agreement repudiated Sir John A. Macdonald's old National Policy and its assumption of an east-west economy defying the southward tug of the business giant on the other side of the border. Abandoning the National Policy also implied, whether Canadians realised it or not, the end of the political underpinnings of our massive transfer system for the less-developed parts of the country. As Ontario and Alberta become increasingly restive in their role as bankrollers of these transfers, the transfer recipients need to concentrate their efforts on reducing dependence, and increasing trade with the US must clearly be part of any strategy that can hope to succeed. An abridged version of this t

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AIMS Chairman discusses new business model in Atlantic Progress

By Atlantic Institute for Market Studies| 2002-09-02T00:00:00+00:00 September 2nd, 2002|In the Media|

In the interview, AIMS Chairman Gerry Pond explores his ideas about the role of government and emphasizes how recognizing and responding to trends in the global marketplace can help strengthen the Atlantic Canadian economy. Smaller more focused government and the resulting expansion in market opportunities would go a long way in assisting Atlantic Canadian companies to reach their full potential.

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Regional Development

By Brian Lee Crowley| 2016-04-04T19:01:42+00:00 August 29th, 2002|Op-ed|

In his remarks at the national convention of the PC Party of Canada in Edmonton, AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley addressed three questions put to him by the conference organizers: First, he explained that regional economic development organizations like ACOA don't Actually create new economic activity but simply substitute the government's preferred activities for those that would have inevitably taken place if people had been left free to take their own decisions with their own money.

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France’s chief news magazine highlights work of AIMS

By Atlantic Institute for Market Studies| 2002-08-22T00:00:00+00:00 August 22nd, 2002|In the Media|

Atlantic Canada, and the growing opportunities it represents, is attracting ever-greater international attention. And AIMS too is in ever-greater demand to explain this region's past and lay out a strategic vision for its future. The latest example comes from France's chief news magazine, L'Express. In their edition of 22 August, a large part of their major article about Atlantic Canada's renaissance is devoted to a discussion with AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley, who points out, among other things, that «Nous avons souffert d'être une région pauvre dans un pays riche.»

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Offshore at ‘critical’ stage

By Atlantic Institute for Market Studies| 2002-07-21T00:00:00+00:00 July 21st, 2002|Op-ed|

Concerns about dry wells and rising political risk were voiced during the Atlantic Gas Symposium in Halifax last week. So far, EnCana, formerly PanCanadian, has drilled three dry holes offshore. In an interview published in the Halifax Sunday Herald, AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley argues that while three dry holes won't likely spur the industry to leave, it will be important to have good news soon. At around $70-million per hole, it is expensive to drill here, as opposed to Alberta and other oil and gas palys competing for exploration dollars. Even while questions surrounding long-term natural gas supplies in the offshore exist, an even more menacing threat may be New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord’s “Canada First” Policy. “It’s making companies nervous” said Dr Crowley, backed by representatives from the oil & gas industry, and could hurt the future of offshore activity in our region. Publication: CHH, July 21, 2002

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ACOA “giddy with success”

By Atlantic Institute for Market Studies| 2002-07-17T00:00:00+00:00 July 17th, 2002|In the Media|

The minister responsible for ACOA, Gerry Byrne, has been publishing articles around Atlantic Canada in recent days to trumpet the successes of his agency and to ridicule those who think that the money devoted to ACOA would be better spent on federal tax cuts in the region. AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley disagrees with Mr. Byrne saying his claims about the overall impact of ACOA beggar belief, and destroy the credibility of ACOA’s more modest but real accomplishments - like it’s recent emphasis on university research. Crowley points out that the amount that ACOA spends in this region is roughly equivalent to what the federal government collects here in corporate income tax alone. ACOA, therefore, really creates no new economic activity in the region, but simply substitutes activities that Gerry Byrne and friends want to promote for activities that Atlantic Canadians would choose to spend their money on if they weren’t so heavily taxed to begin with. Publication: CHH & MTT, July 17, 2

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Equalization: the help that hurts

By Atlantic Institute for Market Studies| 2016-04-04T19:31:52+00:00 June 25th, 2002|In the Media|

Amplifying the theme of AIMS latest report on equalization “Taxing Incentives: How Equalization Distorts Tax Policy in Recipient Provinces”, author Kenneth J. Boessenkool discusses the damaging effects of the federal programme on the citizens it is trying to help. After comparing the levels of various taxes in both recipient and non-recipient provinces, Boessenkool clearly illustrates not only that equalization encourages poorer provinces to keep taxes on their population too high, but also that the bigger the province the stronger the incentives to do so. Of particular interest is the fact that the highest tax rates in recipient provinces tend to be on personal income and, to a slightly lesser extent, taxes on consumption. In other words, the perverse effects seem to be showing themselves most strongly via taxes on people. Publication: NP, June 25, 2002

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What Stephen Harper got wrong – and right

By Atlantic Institute for Market Studies| 2002-06-05T00:00:00+00:00 June 5th, 2002|In the Media|

In his regular column, AIMS' President Brian Lee Crowley writes: the recent comments by Alliance Leader Stephen Harper about the culture of defeatism in Atlantic Canada, and the response to those comments by East Coast politicians and others, were entertaining theatre. But like most plays based on a true story, the facts often get bent to serve a good story line. So while Mr. Harper actually had a substantive point that he overplayed, his opponents were also wrong in their rush to absolve Atlantic Canadians of any responsibility for their state. Publication: CHH, MTT, June 5, 2002

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