The media plays a vital role in the health and well-being of our democracy. And yet, the trust and confidence in legacy media has never been lower. At the same time, so called independent and smaller media outlets are on the rise. What is the role of the fourth estate? What are key issues it faces today in a challenging environment?. Why is it that certain big stories tend to be only found in smaller media?

Affordable, dependable, reliable and secure energy has always, been foundational to Canada’s economic competitiveness and high standard of living. Yet the broader political and media consensus today, based on the unproven theory of human caused climate change, is all about suppressing and ending the benefits of Canada’s immense energy resource wealth. As the largest source of tax revenue and high paying jobs this anti-energy policy is highly irrational and, if achieved, will greatly degrade the way of life of every Canadian. Indeed, the current public discussion regarding energy ignore the fact that world demand for fossil fuels has never been higher. What are those undeniable facts and what really is the policy path forward for Canada?

Leaders on the Frontier | So Much More We Can Be with the Hon. Grant Devine, Premier of Saskatchewan 1982-1991 The evidence, as detailed in the Frontier Centre book “So Much More We Can Be”, shows that the Devine government was indeed an important inflection point in Saskatchewan history. It significantly diversified the provincial economy while creating long-lasting positive effects on Saskatchewan’s revenues, employment and the quality of life of its citizens. What were those policy initiatives and why was the turn away from government ownership central to the principles and tactics that guided them? Saskatchewan, in many respects, now leads Canada as a province of prosperity and opportunity. How can we learn from these policy initiatives as we look to our future?

Patient Centered Health Care and Crisis Join us on Today! Patients at Risk: Exposing Canada’s Health-care Crisis A Webinar featuring Senior Fellow Susan Martinuk in a discussion about Canada’s health care system. REGISTER NOW → Our Topic: Sometimes health care hurts the very people it is supposed to heal. This is now the situation in Canada, where waitlists, rationed services and a fragmented system have resulted in tragic and unnecessary consequences to far too many patients. Susan Martinuk’s newly published book, Patients at Risk: Exposing Canada’s Health-care Crisis shares the heart-breaking stories of those who sought healing and instead found themselves trapped in a system that prioritizes an intangible ideology over patient care. How did Canada’s beloved health-care system lose sight of its original purpose to heal and devolve into a system that routinely denies care to those who need it?

"Energy policy plays a central role in the health and vibrancy of Canada's economy and in the quality of life and high living standard of every Canadian. Canada’s enormous energy wealth, particularly from its immense conventional oil and gas reserves, is our country’s largest export and its greatest source of tax revenue and high paying jobs. Relative to other countries these ample supplies of energy have benefited citizens with lower energy prices. This policy has now shifted as Justin Trudeau’s government climate change and anti-pipeline policies work to massively increase energy prices and the cost of goods and services across the board. Indeed, gasoline prices in early February across Canada broke an all-time record with a national average retail fuel price of $1.516 per litre. This session discusses this radical change in Canada's energy policy. What is behind the Trudeau government’s anti-energy masterplan? Why this change and particularly the politics behind it? How will these changes impact the future of every key industry, your personal living standard and the future of Canada? Mr. McTeague explores the relationship artificially higher energy prices and the larger ""green agenda"" and its net-zero carbon goal and the Environmental Social Governance (ESG) movement? Who do these policies benefit and why do current governments and others support such policies given their disastrous impacts? Lastly, what happened to the pro-prosperity Liberal Party that saved Canada’s finances under Jean Chretien and Paul Martin?"

Canada’s health care system by almost all measures and indexes performs at or near the bottom of OECD rankings while being among the most expensive in the world. Patients experience a myriad of waiting lists and health bureaucracy that often create immeasurable suffering and poor results. Given this reality, how can healthcare in Canada improve and catch up to the rest of the western world? What is the way forward and out of Canada’s unstainable, expensive and low performing health care system? One pioneering voice for change has been Dr. Brian Day who has spent decades advocating for changes that would put patients first. Dr. Day will be joining Leaders on the Frontier for a fascinating discussion about his personal journey as a Physician, the challenges of our healthcare system and a pathway way forward to better serve Canadians. Please consider donating to Frontier Centre for Public Policy: https://fcpp.org/donations

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Canada's 14 Governments have instituted almost two years of unprecedented drastic emergency policies in an attempt to safeguard human health. These actions have severely curtailed individual rights and freedoms while causing enormous economic and social damage. We will discuss this, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of a written Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada, with the last living signator of the 1982 Charter, the Hon. Brian Peckford. This is an important discussion on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of a written Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada. How badly have our Governments assaulted and undermined these basic rights and freedoms? Was it a fair trade-off?

Smashing the Top 5 Climate Crisis Myths with John Robson, Executive Director of the Climate Discussion Nexus. Dr. Robson will be discussing the Top 5 Climate Myths, from (1) the settled scientific consensus to (2) the unprecedented rise in temperature (3) the demonstrated increase in extreme weather to (4) the ready availability of alternatives to fossil fuels to (5) the apocalypse that awaits if we do not take drastic action now.

Frontier senior fellows Brian Giesbrecht and David Redman discuss the continuing Covid policy fiasco, including lockdowns and vaccine mandates with Glorious and Free, a public discussion group with membership mostly in Ontario and Quebec. November 22, 2021. (3 hours).

Leaders On The Frontier with Lord Conrad Black (Nov 25) by Frontier Centre

Discussion with Wendell Cox.

Discussion with Tom Flanagan.

A new book crossed my desk a few weeks ago now and I knew it was coming because there were a series of articles are written over a recent years by the Frontier Center for Public Policy drilling down on certain parts of the Divine government legacy. Divine led the first conservative government since the Depression era. Grant Devine becomes the Premier of Saskatchewan and replaces a long time NDP government in the largest sweep in Saskatchewan political history. The NDP resurged and overwhelming defeats Grant Devine in 1991 and govern uninterrupted until Brad Wall in 2007. The new book that is now out from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy is So Much More We Can Be:  Saskatchewan's paradigm shift and the final chapter on the Divine government 1982 to 1991. For a lot of us in the age of those who remember the Divine years and politics and even those of you too young to remember when you say grab Divine government you remember how it ended the largest political scandal in Saskatchewan history involving an expense account fraud. This book provides a deeper look on the effective the Divine government had and drills down on the paradigm shift it had on Saskatchewan. Co-authored by the names you will know well writers and Edward Willett, Joe Ralco, and Gerard Lucyshyn.

An Elder Speaks: Great Leaders Have Great Fellowship by Frontier Centre

An Elder Speaks: “The Better Men They Were, the More Useful for Their Followers” by Frontier Centre

An Elder Speaks: Total Change Would Bring Chaos by Frontier Centre

An Elder Speaks: “Money in the Hands of the System, the System Will Impose Its Will." by Frontier Centre

13.2 Non - Tax Fraud Compliance 35s by Frontier Centre

An Elder Speaks: “Deprive The System Of Its Money And You Empower The Ordinary" “The reason for bringing in this radical change is the imutability of the system and its ability to resist any change over the years and the necessity of doing what they’re now proposing to do in the case of cancers, which is deprive the cancer of its source of blood. In this case you deprive the system of its money, of a good chunk of its money, and you empower the ordinary Indian so that he can then hold the system accountable and bend it to his interests. That’s the purpose of the proposal on treaty money.  It’s ironical that the people who developed the treaty in the first place understood this and had set up the system to be self-correcting. And the reason it lost its ability to self-correct is that the individual was deprived of his strength - treaty money.” -   Jean Allard

An Elder Speaks: Racism Is a Justification for Self-Interests by Frontier Centre

An Elder Speaks: “It's Like a Province With No Accountability" by Frontier Centre

Danielle Smith interviews Dr. Marco Navarro-Génie and Dr. Barry Cooper, senior research fellows at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy about their new book The Politics of Pandemic Moral Panic.

Since the 1990s zombie firms have been on the rise; in fact, the Bank of Canada states that the number of zombie firms in the country is higher than in other countries. These zombies are anything but the fictional ones referred to in movies, these ones are very real! A zombie firm refers to any business who is unable to pay its debt-servicing costs from its current profits over an extended period of time. The measures taken during the COVID crisis by the federal government and the Bank of Canada to tackle the economic downturn are leading to a direct increase of zombie firms. The federal government’s economic response included wage subsidies of 75% for all employers who experienced a loss in gross revenues of at least 15% in March and 30% in April and May. In order to improve market liquidity, the Bank of Canada has lowered interest rates and began purchasing Government of Canada securities and Canada Mortgage Bonds. While this had reduced the financial pressure on firms at the time the creation of really low-interest-rate environments -- consequently creating the perfect conditions for zombie firms to rise. Zombie firms have lower labour and factor productivity that hinder potential growth and investment opportunities for productive firms. Although it is critical that governments focus on flattening the COVID curves, it is equally important for governments to address the rise of zombie firms and ensure that economic measures are getting to the productive firms.

By Dr. Sunetra Gupta and Dr. Martin Kulldorff Lockdowns have generated enormous collateral damage on other health outcomes, such as plummeting childhood vaccination rates, worst cardiovascular disease outcomes, less cancer screening, and deteriorating mental health, just to name a few. Even if all lockdowns are lifted tomorrow, this is something that we will have to live with – and die with – for many years to come.

Authors Barry Cooper and Marco Navarro-Génie join Sheila Gunn Reid to talk about their new book on the Canadian government's reaction to COVID-19.

Lies at the Heart of Identity Politics: Why do individuals insist on professing their professional accomplishments through identifying their gender and race? Q: "During the vice presidential debate in the United States, were you struck by Kamala Harris's need to tell everybody that she was a black women when she was a prosecutor and she was a black women when she was the Attorney General of California?" A: "It is par for the case these days, it is very common for people to invoke census categories of race, gender, sexuality, even religion and ethnicity to somehow claim ... Chicago's Morning Answer The Dan Proft Show AM 560 WIND Salem Radio Network

Imagine you were given the opportunity to completely redraw the borders and boundaries of North America however you choose. Would you redo them along party lines so the supporters of every party have their own territory for them to control? Would you have a certain number of each party control different areas? Or would you change anything at all? Could there be an answer to this question that would help in an increasingly divided world? Guest: Brian Giesbrecht, Senior Fellow, Frontier Centre for Public Policy, retired Manitoba provincial judge

Guest Brian Giesbrecht, retired Manitoba provincial court judge, Senior Fellow with the Frontier Center for Public Policy and C2C Journal author.

Wendell Cox - Senior Fellow, Frontier Centre for Public Policy - Housing affordability in Ottawa has declined from “affordable” in 2005 to “seriously unaffordable” in 2019 according to the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association and the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

Brian Giesbrecht is interviewed on the Roy Green Show.

Good politics, bad economics. This was the verdict among Canada's most economic literate think tanks on the conservative's platform plank on the trimming of the Goods & Service tax, by two points. For various reasons, these institutions appeared more favorably disposed towards the Liberals income tax cuts.

Many of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers such as: Tesla, Uber, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Volvo, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Nissan, GM, and Ford along with some other less-common brands are working on and planning to release driverless cars or driverless systems in the future. It is projected that the autonomous vehicle market in the US will be approximately $87 billion by 2030, now is certainly the time to be thinking about self-driving legislation.

Can you imagine stumbling upon the Mad Hatter’s tea party, watching as the discussions become increasingly absurd – and yet wanting a permanent seat at the table? Could Lewis Carroll have been having nightmares about the Paris climate treaty when he wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? The US President was 100% correct (not just 97%) when he showed true leadership when walked America away from the madness laid out before him and his fellow citizens on the Paris climate table.

The stated objective of Canada’s equalization program is to ensure provincial governments in less-prosperous regions of the country are able to deliver high-quality public services to residents. This is a worthwhile, even noble objective. That the program is motivated by good intentions, however, does not necessarily mean it is producing positive results. In fact, equalization is producing disastrous unintended consequences for all the provinces, including those receiving the biggest cheques.

The holidays are a time when many of us count our blessings, and think of society’s least fortunate. While there are many things that can be done to help those in need, some policies designed to do so backfire. Rent control is one of them. Surveys of economists continually show a nearly perfect consensus within the profession that rent control reduces the stock and quality of rental housing.

The decision to turf laws that ensure taxpayer protection and balanced budgets most often come back to haunt the politicians you make such decisions.Properly designed, such legislation can serve as a fiscal constitution that delivers superior long-term policy and better services paid for by expanded growth inoculates politicians from the danger of fiscal whims.

Legalize and tax marijuana and the budget will balance itself. Marijuana advocates from stoners to recreational users to the Prime Minister have tried to convince us of this for years. It makes some sense that a product so commonly used should be regulated, not criminalized, sending its newly-enabled taxation revenues to the public coffers. Unfortunately, recent federal announcements and the examples of two American states tell us a fiscal boon from legal pot is nothing more than reefer madness.

In this interview with Sandra Gagnon of Radio-Canada Alberta Marco Navarro-Génie commented on the strengths and weaknesses of Alberta's United Conservative Party heading into the 2019 election of April 16. Dans cette entrevue avec Sandra Gagnin à Radio-Canada Alberta, Marco Navarro-Génie offre ses commentaires à propos des forces et faiblesses du Parti Conservateur Uni en Alberta alors que la province se prépare pour les élections du 16 avril 2019.

The cancellation of the Energy East pipeline project by TransCanada Corporation, citing delays caused by the regulatory process, newly lengthened and thickened by Ottawa, is emblematic of forces conspiring against rational energy and regulatory policy.

Opponents of oil pipelines, such as the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast, have arguably caused unnecessary harm to the environment, reduced public safety, and slowed the Canadian economy.

The environmentalist war on fossil fuels has opened a new front: a war on pipelines. For years, activists claimed the world was rapidly depleting its oil and natural gas supplies. The fracking revolution (horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing) obliterated that argument, and sent US oil and gas production to new heights.

Justice Pricing: Is it really justice or just plain hate? by Frontier Centre

Once they were big, really big, kings of Hollywood, producers of movies that were nominated for over 300 Oscars, but when their founder was outed as Captain America of the freestyle groping team, the Weinstein Company name became toxic.

Cornwallis And Ryerson: Heros Or Villians? by Frontier Centre

How should municipal services be delivered to citizens? The political right argues that outsourcing services is usually more efficient, while the left argues that privatization of services such as waste management or waste water treatment would lead to lower quality services. In actuality many municipal services are delivered by both private companies and public employees. Sometimes public employees are best position to provide better services and some time private contractors have the edge. Municipalities should examine the cost of both options.

Can’t Pick and Choose Free Speech: U of M missed opportunity to lead

Demographia with Wendell Cox by Frontier Centre

The federal government has decided to throw $950 million dollars into “strengthening Canada’s most promising clusters and accelerating economic growth in highly innovative industries…while positioning Canadian firms for global leadership.” What this means is that the feds will handpick five business proposals (which will probably turn out to be in Liberal electoral strongholds) and “supercharge” their competitiveness and “leverage” their technologies and “add informatics, connectivity and traceability” And other buzz-word stuff that will supposedly increase economic growth and add jobs.

The House of Commons bans certain terms as “unparliamentary speech”. It’s time we all stopped using certain phrases in our own debates. The current Minister of the Environment has referred to some of her opponents as “climate change deniers”, a nasty and dishonest charge.

The age of driverless automobiles is almost upon us. Most of the world’s car makers are working on prototypes and it is expected that by 2030 the autonomous vehicle market in the US alone will be worth approximately $87 billion. How will Canada deal with this innovation.

Last year, a geological survey made a promising discovery of diamonds in northern Manitoba. The province should move quickly to enhance the potential for revenue by involving industry partners, First Nations and municipalities in the region. Other areas have fumbled the opportunity such a mine would bring to economic development – the De Beers find in Ontario came to no good end when talks with the Attawapiskat First Nation broke down.

Is there really bias in the news and public affairs media? Well, yes. Not only is there no objectivity in the news, but most of the bias is left-leaning. If you hold a dissenting view on gay marriage, climate change, or abortion, you will search the media in vain for your side of the debate.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.) That white, female teachers make up the bulk of the K-12 teaching force in Canada, including some 80 percent in the Province of Manitoba, should not surprise anyone. For a variety of well-known reasons, women have long been attracted to teaching.

Death Tax by Frontier Centre

Ease of Doing Business by Frontier Centre

Are you optimistic about new tax revenue from the marijuana industry? For years, marijuana advocates have been telling us that if we legalize and tax cannabis products, floods of new revenue will flow into government coffers and the budget will balance itself. Unfortunately, the experience of two American states and recent federal announcements leads to the conclusion that a fiscal boon from legal pot is only reefer madness.

Halloween Costumes by Frontier Centre

Recycling Investment by Frontier Centre

In 2012 two brothers left good jobs to pursue a business idea. They knew that most restaurants do not deliver, and that consumers increasingly order goods and services on-line. They suspected that car owners might want to earn extra income. They connected these dots and SkipTheDishes was born.

Michael Zwaagstra discusses back to school issues on CBC Blue Sky Radio.

On August 3, the government of Canada issued a statement of concern about the way that Saudi Arabia was treating a number of its citizens who had been agitating for further human rights inside the most Islamically conservative jurisdiction on the planet.

It's rare that a Canadian university prof ends up on talk shows around the world. But Jordan Peterson, who teaches psychology at the University of Toronto, got there because he refused to the obey the rule that says people who self-identify as 'trans gender' are entitled to 'non-binary pronouns'. From that starting point, Peterson has emerged as Canada's best known academic intellectual since Marshall McLuhan. He is vilified by some feminists as being a misogynist of the alt right, a charge that he strongly denies.

Two recent cases show a troubling trend on the part of the police in reacting to Canadians defending their property and families. When an armed gang roared on to the farm of Gerald Stanley, attempted to steal vehicles, and assaulted his wife, Stanley responded by shooting dead one of the home invaders. When Peter Khill found a man on his driveway trying to steal his truck and believed the thief was raising a gun, Khill shot and killed him.

Airbnb is one of our era’s most popular and successful services, providing travellers cheap short-term accommodation in unused suites and rooms, primarily in private homes. It serves millions of customers every day in 191 countries but it has recently faced opposition in Canadian cities.

Canada and the USA are now involved in a harmful trade war that threatens our prosperity. At the heart of the disagreement are the sky-high tariffs that Canada levies on dairy products to shelter our milk cartel. These import duties of up to 270% make our milk, cheese and yogurt far more expensive than they ought to be.

There is much anxiety about the impact of climate change and the dangers posed by global warming. Ottawa and a majority of the provinces have decided that a tax on carbon emissions is what's needed to help save the planet. However, scientific studies are now suggesting that Canadians don't have that much to fear.

As Canadian cities are plagued by ever-higher home prices, governments look for ways to provide affordable housing for their citizens. They should look to their own ill-advised “urban containment” policies. Urban containment severely restricts or bans development in urban fringe areas. Consistent with basic economics, this increases land values and house prices. The hope that higher housing densities will offset the land-price increases and keep housing affordable has not been borne out in practice. Cities with such policies like Vancouver and Toronto have seen house prices double or triple compared with household incomes. Speculators prosper while the middle class suffers.

The recent controversies over tearing down the statues of Canadian heroes because some of their actions have offended our modern sensibilities needs some historical context. No one, no matter how revered, ever lived without flaws. Louis Riel, lauded for the founding of Manitoba, ended his life as a false messiah who wanted to rename the North Star after his sister, and move the papacy to Montreal; a failed leader whose decisions brought ruin on the Métis of the Northwest. Yet we have erected statues of Riel and name a public holiday after him.

By now, we are used to attending public events that begin with an acknowledgement that we are on treaty land. This ritual grew out of a claim by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that such a statement was necessary to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians together. But that statement is historically wrong and meant to advance another cause altogether.

Interview: Michael Zwaagstra discusses changes to Ontario's sex-ed curriculum accompanied by scrapping discovery math model on The Roy Green Show. (~17 minutes)

It’s not easy being green. Attempts around the world to rely exclusively on renewable sources for energy are constantly being hampered by the unreliability of solar, wind or tidal power, by higher consumer costs, and by unexpected environmental hazards. Despite this, governments continue to insist on renewables and ignore cheap and clean fossil fuels, even while black-outs, brown-outs, and soaring heating bills plague us.

Among the silliest of current left-wing demands is that white people cease “cultural appropriation”, that is, the borrowing of styles, foods, dress, or art of other cultures. A Latina student in California insisted that hoop earrings were an invention of her people and should not be worn by those with paler skin. A white Canadian politician quoted Beyoncé and was denounced by Black Lives Matter; a white basketball player was assaulted for braiding his hair.

The former Kapyong Barracks site, located on 160 acres of prime Winnipeg real estate, has been vacant since 2004 when the military base closed down. The federal government has tried to sell the land but courts have required that they first negotiate with First Nations peoples.

The budget crisis in Alberta has led some to suggest cutting funding to private schools. This is a short-sighted and unfair idea. Private schools are only partly financed by the province which does not cover capital costs and provides a per-student grant less than half of what public schools receive. Transferring those students enrolled in the private institutions to the public system would cost Alberta $168 million extra plus the cost of constructing new classrooms or schools to accommodate the 29,000 pupils. Those worried about class sizes now should consider the impact of adding that many new students.

Don't Blink: The Politics of Successful Structural Reform by Frontier Centre

Here is a simple phrase: “Some good came from Residential Schools”. It’s an undeniably true statement and if you don’t believe it, listen to the words of native playwright Tomson Highway: “There are many very successful people today that went to those schools and have brilliant careers and are very functional people, very happy people like myself. I have a thriving international career, and it wouldn’t have happened without that school.”

Ian Madsen joins Geoff Currier to explain the common negative effects that are nearly inevitable, and more.

The Northern Gateway, Energy East, and Pacific Northwest LNG Pipeline proposals have been scrapped. Scotiabank estimates that the Canadian economy forfeits $15.6 billion per year as other pipeline proposals await approval. Has this happened because Canadians organically and collectively decided the environmental impact was too great? No. This actually happened because uber-rich American environmental foundations planned and paid for this very result.

First Nations populations and on-reserve businesses are growing faster than the Canadian average. This growth should be welcomed by the rest of the Canadian family, save for one problem: unjustified tax exemptions for on-reserve commerce and individuals.

How long is the career of a public figure when facing anonymous accusations of sexual misconduct? In the case of Ontario Conservative leader Patrick Brown it was measured in hours from the moment CTV released the news to his resignation.

Red tape and paper-shuffling clog the arteries of departmentville. Most debilitating is the process-bound micro-management of all personnel and financial decisions by large central agencies. While well intended, their rules and controls cost hundreds of millions, killing productivity and dumbing down the organization while repelling those with talent and creativity.

But what is neither forgivable nor understandable is the reaction of federal politicians to the trial. Both the Prime Minister and the Justice Minister have joined in the chorus criticizing the decision of the twelve jurors.

Ian Madsen Interview (680 CJOB, Winnipeg) by Frontier Centre

Frontier Senior Fellow and retired judge Brian Giesbrecht explodes the myth that we are all living on “treaty land” as per fashionable pronouncements prior to hockey games and assorted public events. With Geoff Currier on Winnipeg’s CJOB.

Should those running traditional businesses being edged out by sharing economy stalwarts like AirBNB and Uber be getting more consideration for their positions by politicians? Gerard Lucyshyn from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy joins Rob to share some of the results from a new report.

Damage from rail car accidents far exceed pipeline leaks, as tanker trains are routed through cities and towns, exposing millions of Canadians to safety hazards. Worst of all was the 2013 derailment that killed 47 people in Lac-Megantic Quebec.

Michael Zwaagstra's presentation of "Content Knowledge" at ResearchEd.

Interview: Vancouver-Portland High-Speed Train - A Costly Extravagance (Global News, CKNW) by Frontier Centre

It’s said that in life you get what you pay for. Including unemployment...

Weekly Radio: Fixing Hydro by Frontier Centre

Graham Lane discusses the issues facing Manitoba Hydro with their board resigning en masse.

The "Secret Path" by Downie and Jeff Lemire suggests that in 1966 an Indigenous teen named Chanie Wenjack ran away from a residential school near Kenora Ontario and died trying to get home to his first nation contains some unsubstantiated claims.

Sincere Belief Insincere Actions by Frontier Centre

Deconstitutionalizing Equalization by Frontier Centre

It used to be that one of the most important hallmarks of a strong democracy was its protection of free speech. Unfortunately, Canada seems to be following the lead of those who would rather silence opinion that’s not considered  sufficiently “progressive”.

“If I earned $100,000 [all figures Canadian unless noted] in Canada, after tax I would keep $64,000. If I earned $100,000 in Hong Kong, and made use of the married man’s tax allowance, I would keep $90,100.”

If a tree falls in the forest, can tree-huggers cheer? Yes, they can. They say every four stories of a ‘plyscraper’ will reduce carbon emissions similar to what’s produced by 500 cars every year. Unfortunately, governments are often slow to grasp the opportunity.

Where Have All The Public Thinkers Gone by Frontier Centre

Many Canadians have pinned their hopes for a cleaner environment on solutions like electric cars  and 'eating food that’s produced locally.' But it’s by no means easy being green and often there are hidden costs ...

Social Justice Vision For Sports by Frontier Centre

Many ethnic and racial groups in Canada strive to maintain separate identities in the face of the forces of assimilation. Some also have a painful history of being victimized, and they have struggled to keep their culture alive.

With Michael Zwaagstra, Contributor to the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and a public high school teacher, education researcher, and author.

Class Action - Indian Hospitals in 1960's by Frontier Centre

Craig Blacksmith was a candidate in the Association of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) recent election…

Content Knowledge is the Key to Learning (Audio Book) by Frontier Centre

The rules to deal with asylum seekers and human smugglers in Canada represent a return to a time when common sense prevailed to prevent the abuse of our laws. Despite strong resistance by the opposition parties and the refugee lobby, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration introduced legislation aimed at curbing abuse and introducing a faster and more equitable process for adjudicating asylum claims. The Balanced Refugee Reform Act and the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, effectively created a new asylum policy for Canada.

When the government introduced the Canadian Human Rights Act in 1977, it was acknowledged to be a glaring omission to exclude First Nations people (as defined in the Indian Act) from the Act’s protection. Section 67 was a scandalous clause that kept Aboriginal Canadians from accessing rights other Canadians take for granted.

Teacher and Senior Fellow at Frontier Center for Public Policy, Michael Zwaagstra, joins Geoff Currier to discuss his latest commentary entitled "Brainwashed Students Aren’t Critical Thinkers". Commentary can be found at www.fcpp.org.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released its report in 2015 saying that that Canada and the Churches that managed the majority of Indian Residential Schools treated Indigenous people as if they were sub-human. If this is true, then why did many church leaders give about a third of the schools Indigenous names? Schools were named after Indigenous Chiefs, such as Crowfoot and Old Sun; Tribes and Bands, such as Assiniboia and Mohawk; and Places, such as Ahousat and Wabasca. In this recording Rod Clifton, Senior Editor at the Frontier Centre, examines the names given to Indian Residential schools.

There are as many electoral engineers in this world as there are social engineers. They want to devise ingenious systems to advance vague concepts such as “inclusiveness”, while failing to define adequately what that means. Nor do they explore whether the people they want to “help” really want to be helped. How do the electoral engineers know that most of the people who voted for third, fourth or fifth parties were not consciously making a statement in the full knowledge that their votes in the end were unlikely to influence the outcome?

Robert MacBain discusses Gord Downie, Charlie Wenjack and Sir Edward Cornwallis on the Sheldon MacLeod Show on Halifax radio station 97.5.

Senior Fellow Michael Zwaagstra is interviewed by Danielle Smith about the recent controversial motion made by newly elected trustee Lisa Davis seeking to create "third-party math monitoring" to ensure students achieve the learning improvements they deserve in math through shared best practices among teachers themselves. Critics argue that this would be overstepping the boundaries that allow teachers the freedom and expertise to do their jobs.

David Vardy discusses the Muskrat Falls Inquiry on CBC Radio.

Tom Adams comments on Patrick Brown's Hydro plan.

Tom Adams on the electricity promise.

A recent study claims that 90 per cent of classes in Alberta are way over the provincial standard of 17 students per class. But how much do class sizes affect a child’s learning process? Michael Zwaagstra, a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre joins Rob Breakenridge to comment on what's really the best way for kids to learn.

Teaching is a challenging job. Anyone who has spent a few days in a school knows that teachers have a lot of demands placed upon them. Michael Zwaagstra comments.

Immigration continues to be a huge issue for Canada, and an expert in the field says it's one of the areas where Justin Trudeau does NOT compare favourably with his legendary father. For more on immigration and other issues, visit the Frontier Centre For Public Policy, at FCPP.ORG

Dr. Gerry Bowler, senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, joined the Danielle Smith show to talk about the "Halloween costume conundrum."

Robert MacBain is interviewed on the Jim Harrison show.

Graham Lane, former Chair of PUB and chair of MB Forward, discusses the rate hikes facing Manitobans through Manitoba Hydro. Interviewed by Hal Anderson on 680 CJOB Winnipeg.

Michael Zwaagstra, Senior Fellow with Frontier Centre, discusses his newly released paper, Content Knowledge is the Key to Learning". His opposing view is the President of the Alberta Teachers' Association, Greg Jeffrey.

Michael Zwaagstra, Senior Fellow with the Frontier Centre, discusses his newly released paper, "Content Knowledge is the Key to Learning" on CBC.

Michael Zwaagstra, high school teacher in Manitoba, discusses his new paper, "Content Knowledge is the Key to Learning" on CFRA with Brian Lilley.

Michael Zwaagstra, Senior Fellow for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, joins Rob Breckenridge at CHQR to discuss his newly released paper entitled, "Content Knowledge is the Key to Learning".

Michael Zwaagstra discusses his newly released paper "Content Knowledge is the Key to Learning" on CJOB with Geoff Currier.

Ian Madsen on CBC Radio discussing the findings of his latest paper from Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

Gerard Lucyshyn discusses his newly released paper "Balancing Elephants: Saskatchewan’s Return on Investment – SASKFERCO" with John Gormley on CKOM.

Education expert Michael Zwaagstra joins John to discuss the greatest challenges in the classroom, including confronting the latest education fad frequently known as "21st Century Learning".

Michael Zwaagstra gives a speech on 21st Century Learning.

Marco Navarro-Genie, President of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, discusses the newly released report 'The Size and Cost of the Public Sector in Western Canada' on CBC radio. The paper is jointly published with Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

High school teacher Michael Zwaagstra, who is also a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, supports letter grades as a vital part of the evaluating process.(CBC)

Research strongly supports the use of traditional methods including structured classrooms, direct instructions, guided practice and even rote memorization.

Education researcher Michael Zwaagstra is in Saskatchewan this week speaking on why what he calls “traditional” instruction of students is a good way to improve learning. What is traditional instruction? Michael Zwaagstra, public high school teacher, education researcher, Frontier Centre research fellow and author.

Michael Zwaagstra is interviewed by Peter Watt on Alberta Morning news about no-zero policies.

Five million Canadians cross the border each year to fly from U.S. airports and save hundreds of dollars on the cost of a single vacation. Travelling from a Canadian airport costs more in several ways, especially when you add up airport fees and taxes. The U.S. sees air transportation as critical to economic growth, and subsidizes the cost. The Canadian government, on the other hand, appears to view air travel as a source of revenue. In addition to almost a billion dollars that Canadian air travellers pay out each year in fees and taxes, we also pay for airport security, fuel surcharges, and air traffic control. The basic fare is also higher for a number of other reasons. Higher wages and lower productivity in Canada are part of the story. Ottawa closely regulates the airline industry and limits service into many Canadian cities. Allowing more carriers to compete would go a long way in reducing the cost, and it would also generate economic growth. Studies show that when airlines are not allowed regular access to a community, it can cost the local economy hundreds of millions of dollars annually. More of a customer service approach is urgently needed. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on transportation policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Teachers in many Canadian classrooms are being encouraged to de-emphasize factual knowledge, in favour of a more hands-on discovery approach with students. But some basic facts will always be essential in making higher-level learning possible. For example, it's difficult for students to understand the grievances of the Métis, without knowing the facts about Louis Riel. A student who memorizes multiplication tables is more likely to succeed at algebra than one who uses a calculator to multiply 5 times 6. Students who don't know the tables are more likely to become bogged down and confused by the steps that are needed to solve such problems. For most of us there is a limit to the amount of information that can be easily stored in our memory. Something like learning a new phone number can be a struggle for a while. But once the number has been committed to our long-term memory, it's relatively easy to retrieve the information from our cognitive load. Students who know their basic facts experience less difficulty with cognitive load when solving more advanced problems. Knowledge is essential to the development of critical thinking skills. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on education, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Saskatchewan's Perry Bellegarde faces many challenges as the new National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. The organization is in crisis after Shawn Atleo resigned from the post before the end of his term. A number of chiefs felt he acted too independently and was too cozy with the Harper government in Ottawa. Bellegarde’s first challenge will be to convince the chiefs that he needs a degree of independence to be effective, and that cooperation with government can result in meaningful change. If the national chief works closely with Ottawa, there may be movement on calls for a national inquiry on missing and murdered Indigenous women. Bellegarde also needs to focus on education. A majority of chiefs across the country want the government to kill Bill C-33, the Control of First Nations Education Act. They want the money for schools that would come with the legislation but don’t want government to dictate reform of the education system. Bellegarde should definitely encourage all First Nations to improve education on reserves. He should also strongly support a proposed First Nations Property Ownership Act, which will allow Indigenous communities to become more self-sufficient. Hopefully the new national chief will make good decisions and be supported by the Assembly of First Nations. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on Aboriginal policy, visit www.fcpp.org

Nothing is more important than giving our children a good education, but getting rid of bad teachers can be very difficult. A recent court case in California may change that in the United States. A judge in Los Angeles has declared as unconstitutional, the sections of those laws that give teachers tenure within two years, protecting them from dismissal, and allowing lay-offs only on the basis of seniority. Lawyers for a group of students argued successfully that the laws violate their rights to a quality education and equal opportunity to succeed, because they keep bad teachers in the classroom and push good ones out. In both Canada and the U.S, firing a teacher requires years of documentation, costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and is still not guaranteed to succeed. In Alberta recently, a teachers’ association committee called for a two-year suspension for a teacher who terrorized students by kicking furniture and throwing objects at them. The case shows that even grossly inappropriate behaviour does not always result in dismissal. Good teachers should not be blamed for poor results due to factors beyond their control, but job security should not be guaranteed for incompetent or abusive teachers. If governments don’t address the problem, the answer may lie with the courts, as was the case in California. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on education policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Political leaders around the world have now spent more than two decades setting targets for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide that no one has any realistic hope of achieving. In the United Kingdom, emissions are being reduced at a rate of 1 percent per year. To meet the country's target by 2022, that reduction will have to happen at a rate 4 to 5 times that. Germany, which is building new coal-fired power plants, will also miss its 2020 emissions target. Alternatives like solar and wind are simply not able to produce enough reasonably-priced, reliable energy that's necessary for an advanced, industrial economy. Over the past 40 years, worldwide carbon dioxide emissions have taken a significant drop only once. That was during the depth of the global financial crisis in 2009. For the most part, when carbon dioxide emissions disappear, so do economic opportunities. Manufacturing jobs in sectors like the auto industry need dependable, affordable power - not the unreliable, expensive electricity that's generated by wind turbines. It's also important to remember the overall social cost in the debate over carbon dioxide emissions. Coal mining supports thousands of families, as do oil wells. Governments must pay more attention to the impact their environmental policies have on workers and their families. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on energy and environmental policy, visit www.fcpp.org.

Manitoba and the three Maritime provinces who rely on equalization payments as a source of revenue are getting a lot less than they used to. Equalization payments as a share of GDP have been declining significantly in all four provinces since 2009. In Manitoba, this means losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars. A decade ago, Quebec was the big winner in equalization, taking 37% of all such transfers, but Ontario was still a have-province in those days and they took nothing. Quebec’s share is continuing to increase significantly, and Ontario has been on the receiving end since 2009. This year, Quebec and Ontario together are receiving 67% of all equalization payments. The decrease in equalization payments to Manitoba and the Maritime provinces does not result from lower federal spending on transfers, which are at historically high levels. Canada’s two largest provinces have left less behind for the smaller provinces that rely on the program. It's a challenging time for these 'have not' provinces, and it's not about to change anytime soon. Each of them will have to address their own challenges through spending restraint and prudent fiscal management. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. To read our latest report on equalization, in partnership with the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Residents of Canada's First Nations should begin to see noticeable improvements in the quality of their drinking water sooner rather than later. While the condition of water and sewage treatment systems on many reserves is a serious concern, significant resources have recently been invested in First Nations water systems. Since 2006, nearly $3 billion has been invested to support First Nations communities in managing their water and waste infrastructure, and some progress has already been made. . Between 2011 and 2013, the number of First Nations with water systems that are considered high-risk with major deficiencies has been reduced from 27% to 19%. The amount of water systems ranked as medium-risk level is now 43%, while the amount of systems that are low-risk is 38%. It's a significant improvement, but more action must still be taken. Research suggests that water quality problems affect a large number of rural communities in Canada, and the problems are by no means limited to First Nations. The most common culprits are the quality of groundwater and sources of contamination. If Aboriginal Affairs sticks to its current investment strategy, hopefully substandard water and waste infrastructure on First Nations may soon be a thing of the past. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Winnipeg has a new mayor for the first time in a decade, and Brian Bowman wants to cut the salaries of councillors. There have also been moves to cut support staff for councillors, but more thought is needed on this one. Councillors in any municipality need to respond effectively to a wide range of queries from taxpayers, communicate the actions of council to the public, and be able to make proper informed decisions on key issues. To do all this, they need capable research staff to help study the issues. A proposal to give a $10,000 incentive to encourage Winnipeggers to buy downtown condominiums had to be reconsidered, and it appears there was not enough research behind the idea. Some councillors admitted to not fully understanding the proposal before they voted on it, and Council had to quietly reverse the decision. Increasing the research capability would help to build expertise on urban issues. Across Canada, there are relatively few people whose full-time job is to research policies affecting municipalities. Councillors should be free to spend more of their time taking care of their constituents rather than try to run entire offices on their own. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on issues facing local government, visit www.fcpp.org.

If First Nations started to tax band members and include that revenue in their annual budget, there could be measurable improvements in their overall quality of life. In recent years, First Nations have been given more opportunities to create their own independent tax base. Personal income can now be taxed on First Nations with self-government agreements, and other First Nations have the opportunity to implement sales taxes, user-fees, and taxes on real property. The Institute on Governance has found that there are definite benefits to using tax revenue for First Nations projects and enhancing economic development. These benefits include greater participation, and greater transparency and accountability, on First Nations where some form of tax is collected, because band members have a financial or personal stake in their government’s performance. Nobody likes paying taxes, but comprehensive systems have been embraced and adopted by many First Nations governments. More than a third of the First Nations in Canada have implemented at least one type of taxation within their reserve community. Perhaps it’s time for more First Nations to embrace taxation as a means of improving their communities. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

In local government, the assumption is often made that a good road system means that public transit must suffer, and vice versa. Sometime roadways and transit are at odds, when light rail or streetcar projects remove lanes of traffic, or when road design does not accommodate the needs of buses. But both needs can be accommodated at the same time. Since buses share the road with private vehicles, minimizing the conflict between the two is in everyone's interest. Adding dedicated bus lanes can greatly reduce the number of cars that might otherwise have to fight with the bus to get through. The recent election in Winnipeg saw a bit of a fight between those favouring improved transit, and some candidates who argued that better lanes for cars must be job one, but it doesn't have to be that way. When done right, expanded public transit can improve roadways for drivers and take some number of them off the street altogether, helping to relieve congestion. It will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but when it's completed, Winnipeg’s rapid transit network will provide other cities with a good example of how to balance the needs of drivers and transit users. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on policy issues facing local governments, visit www.fcpp.org.

Over the decades, many communities in Canada have experimented with different versions of a curfew for children and adolescents. Most often, anyone under the age of 16 or 18 must be off the street by a specific time, such as 10pm. The aim is to reduce vandalism and other crimes that are often committed by teenagers, but most evidence suggests that they have not been effective in preventing crime. Sometimes crime does drop during curfew hours, but at the same time, crime will perhaps increase outside the boundaries of the curfew, or during non-curfew hours. Another problem is that youth who already have a criminal history are unlikely to obey the curfew. Meanwhile, teenagers who are not causing trouble are penalized even though they've done nothing wrong. A curfew also does nothing about the concern that young people spend too much time inside watching television or surfing the internet. Why prohibit law-abiding youth from going outside at night, maybe to watch the stars? Youth curfews can also perpetuate an unfair stereotype that all youth are delinquent and can't be trusted. Municipalities would do better to promote a positive relationship between youth and the police, rather than poisoning the relationship through disrespect. Communities should just say “no” to a youth curfew. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more of our work, visit www.fcpp.org.

It is estimated that as many as 300,000 young Canadians work as unpaid interns, and there are moves being made to regulate the practice as it affects university students. An NDP Member of Parliament has introduced a private member's bill aimed at curbing abuses, and the University of Toronto’s Student Union wants to see all unpaid internships banned. Many small businesses and non-profits simply can't afford to pay the interns, and they do provide students with valuable work experience. Rather than forbidding unpaid internships, governments should push universities to develop reasonable policies to protect the students. Students should be allowed to choose their hours and the employer should be required to pay transportation costs. Some universities might help the employer fund a student’s wages or reduce student fees while the student is working as an unpaid intern. Universities also need to develop protocols for students who may be taken advantage of in the workplace. Students should know that they need not suffer abuse in these situations to receive academic credits. Whatever policies are put in place, universities must be transparent to ensure that students know what to expect. Governments provide universities with the largest portion of their funding, so they have a responsibility to ensure that universities protect their students who are involved in internships. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on education policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Why are we last? It's a question many people are asking after test results showing Manitoba students are getting the lowest grades in the country in math, science and reading. Michael Zwaagstra is a high school teacher and policy researcher with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

Canadian air travellers have recently been hit with a $25 charge for checked baggage. WestJet moved first, and Air Canada followed suit just days later. Airlines struggled when the recession hit in 2008, and some of them turned to baggage fees for relief. But airlines in both Canada and the U.S. are once again profitable, and the baggage fees will only add to that profit. It could boost WestJet's revenues by more than $70 million over the next year, and by more than $40 million at Air Canada. So far in Canada, travellers are complaining about the new fees, but paying up. Surveys suggest that passengers are more concerned about things like a lack of legroom in the economy class. But there's still hope that Southwest Airlines may lead the way in the opposite direction. The large American carrier is roughly twice the size of the Air Canada, and it has a Bags Fly Free policy. They're thinking of expanding into Canada, and airports in this country would love to have them. This might encourage Air Canada and WestJet to reconsider baggage fees. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more of our work, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Will Tishinski speech and Q&A at a Frontier Centre for Public Policy Breakfast entitled: Manitoba Hydro's Financial Quagmire.

Education researcher Michael Zwaagstra has a new handbook out from the Frontier Centre. Parents’ Guide to Common Sense Education in Saskatchewan covers issues ranging from standardized testing to report cards and teaching strategies. What issues are the most critical in education today?

The resignation earlier this year of Shawn Atleo as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations strongly confirmed the need for reform of this important organization. Internal divisions are preventing the AFN from being as effective as it should be. First Nations chiefs elect the National Chief, who is always supposed to take direction from them. But to be truly effective, the National Chief needs the authority to set the agenda for the Assembly and to make deals with Ottawa on behalf of First Nations. The National Chief should be a voice of conciliation as he or she approaches government to talk about practical solutions. All too often right now, the key issues of band governance and corruption are passed over at the Assembly of First Nations, perhaps because they draw criticism to the chiefs, who control the national leader. Encouraging greater democracy and grassroots input to the organization could see these local concerns addressed more effectively. This could be accomplished by having all individual members of the Assembly of First Nations elect the National Chief. This would give the National Chief greater discretion, and would allow the Assembly to become a more representative and effective organization. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Beginning next year, Manitoba will begin enforcing a province-wide ban on most uses of synthetic weed killers and other commercial pesticides. All private yards and most public green spaces, such as sports fields, will be affected by the ban. More expensive, and generally less effective alternative pesticides will still be allowed. The legislation will be very costly for municipalities. Steinbach currently spends about 16,000 dollars to eliminate weeds in public spaces. Next year they expect that cost to jump to 200,000 dollars. Many are questioning whether the health benefits will really be worth the extra cost. They point out that the pesticides that will now be banned were approved by Health Canada after rigorous testing. The fear is that many will choose to not spray with the more expensive alternatives, and the result will be a flourishing of noxious weeds. Several eastern provinces have already introduced similar pesticide bans, and on more and more sports fields, grass is being replaced by artificial turf. The irony is that industrial-strength chemicals are needed to disinfect these fields because the fake grass does not naturally cleanse itself. Other western provinces should consider all the possible harmful consequences of synthetic pesticide bans before following the lead of Manitoba. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on environmental policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which was passed by parliament in 2013, helps band members take steps to improve the governance of their communities. It requires the Chief and Council to post audited financial statements including their salaries and benefits on a public website and on the website of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. In the past, band members often found that they did not have easy access to such information. The posting of financial statements online ensures that band members can now access these documents quickly, and anonymously. Transparency and accountability have been enshrined in the nine principles of good governance of the United Nations Development Program. It should help to foster economic growth and stabilize governance on First Nations. A recent report in BC found that improved transparency and accountability on the Westbank First Nation resulted in greater respect for the government from band members as well as from businesses and other governments. When First Nations are transparent with their own people, all day to day life becomes more accountable, resulting in a better future. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

When it comes to climate change, politicians and activists often point to climate models in support of their preferred approach to the issue, such as those who favour carbon taxes. Climate models are a virtual version of our planet, using powerful computers to project future climate trends. The models use data and physical principles to represent various components, such as the oceans, land surfaces, atmosphere, and cloud movements. However, there is growing scepticism about the overall reliability of some of the data, such as temperature records, on which these climate models rely. There are also differing views on the understanding of some the processes, such as how much heat the oceans can absorb. Even the smallest variations can have a significant impact on the outcome of a climate model and our understanding of the science. While there’s nothing wrong with scientists learning from their mistakes and correcting them as time passes, activists tend to hold up these climate models as infallible. They should be very careful when making these kinds of claims, because they have a major impact on public policy and incorrect models can undermine the public’s trust in science. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on environmental policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Education researcher Michael Zwaagstra has a new handbook coming out next month from the Frontier Centre. Parents’ guide to Common Sense Education in Saskatchewan covers issues ranging from standardized testing to report cards and teaching strategies. (CJME)

As classes resume at Canada's universities, students are paying mandatory fees of as much as 200 dollars each to student unions. These organizations do several things for students. They administer health and dental plans, fund a variety of activities including sports teams, and they advocate on behalf of the students to the university administration and government on matters like tuition fees. But quite often student unions are dominated by political activists rather than acting as representatives of the whole student body on a university campus. They fund political causes not every student agrees with and often focus their efforts on issues that have almost nothing to do with post-secondary education. Our provincial governments should seriously consider following the example of Australia and New Zealand. In these countries, students now have a choice of whether to join a student union or not. In some cases, the students still have to pay for services formerly run by the unions, such as sports facilities, but student fees are not used to support political causes. Rather than imposing their own politics on students, student unions should have to listen to the needs and desires of their fellow students. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on post-secondary education, visit our website, www.fcpp.org.

Michael Zwaagstra discusses the B.C. teachers union strike on CBC's The Current. Should the make up of classes be part of teachers' contract talks?

Urban sprawl is still regarded as undesirable by city planners, but the arguments against it are changing. The planners have long maintained that limited development should be allowed beyond existing urban boundaries, as long as there are areas in the core that could be reclaimed and redeveloped. One of the arguments against developing outward is that it will take valuable farmland out of production. But that's a case that no longer holds the strength that it used to. These days, less land is needed to produce food because farming has become more productive and the same output is harvested from fewer acres than 30 years ago. More agricultural land in Canada has been taken out of production because it's simply no longer needed. While urban sprawl poses little or no threat to agriculture, increasing urban density can mean more air pollution and traffic congestion. In addition to health and environmental concerns, urban containment policies tend to drive up the cost housing. This means families have less disposable income and a lower standard of living. Municipalities should recognize these changing realities and ease land use regulations. By doing so, they will help improve the air we breathe, and make housing affordable. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on urban policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

In less than a month, it will be back to class on Canada's university campuses. Some schools like the University of Alberta, are more focused on research, while others, like Brandon University, concentrate more on teaching undergraduates. Students enrolled in research-oriented universities will soon discover that teaching undergraduates is not a high priority. In the research-oriented universities, students often find themselves in large classes, taught by less experienced recent graduates rather than veteran professors. Such professors tend to be valued more for the research they produce, rather than on their teaching skills. This means they have less time to focus on their students, even if they might want to. As a result, students in research-oriented universities are receiving little support to succeed, and one in five students drop out after their first year. Fewer than 60 percent of students in such universities will graduate within six years. The quality of undergraduate education should not be compromised. Students deserve excellent courses and the teaching support they need to graduate. Administrators and professors in research-universities should strive for new ways to strike a better balance between the two. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on education, visit our website, www.fcpp.org.

The controversy continues over hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking' , to enhance recovery of oil and gas. Some places, such as France and the state of New York, have banned fracking because of fears that it might harm ground water, or possibly cause an earthquake. Meanwhile, much of the world continues to rely heavily on coal as a source of energy. Coal mining is more dangerous than fracking, and the burning of coal produces harmful emissions, including mercury and sulfur dioxide. Fracking has been around for decades, but it can now be done horizontally and not just vertically. This is positive news for the environment. A single horizontal well can replace the need to drill a dozen or more vertical wells to access the same amount of resources. This results in dramatically less impact on the surface than before. Horizontal wells are especially useful to reach gas deposits that are under developed areas with roads and buildings. Given its past record of success and these positive changes in the process, Canadians should promote fracking as a safe source of energy and a healthy alternative to mining and burning coal. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on energy and the environment, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

In five of Canada's provinces, including all three prairie provinces, barbers and hairstylists must be certified by a provincial regulatory body in order to do business. It's what's known as a compulsory trade. When a trade is voluntary, on the other hand, a person can seek certification if they desire but can legally work without it. The designations are not at all consistent across the country. In New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, bricklaying is a compulsory trade, but it is not in the western provinces. In most provinces, plumbing is a compulsory trade, but not in Manitoba. But you do have to be certified to be a nail technician in Manitoba. With peculiarities such as this, Canadians might well wonder if such bureaucratic regulation is really necessary. Voluntary certification is a useful option for workers who want to demonstrate to employers and clients that they have experience and adhere to professional standards, but the education and process that's needed to join a compulsory trade seems costly and somewhat irrelevant. Such barriers to employment should be removed, and workers should be free to offer the highest quality of service without burdensome red tape. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on policies affecting the workplace, visit our website, www.fcpp.org.

Elizabeth Nickson discusses her book "Eco-Fascists" on CFRA Radio.

Australia has recently abolished what some have called the “world’s biggest carbon tax”. It was designed to combat climate change by reducing emissions of carbon dioxide that result from the burning of fossil fuels. Companies who produced emissions that exceeded a certain threshold were required to pay a hefty tax. The Australian legislation was highly unpopular because the companies who were subject to it, simply passed the cost on to their customers and hurt the local economy. Greenhouse gas emissions have been on the decline in Australia, but there is no consensus that the carbon tax is the reason. Coal remains one of the primary energy sources, but the shift to natural gas and hydro electricity is growing. The repeal of the carbon tax will enhance economic growth in Australia, and boost family income, thanks to lower utility bills. As an alternative to the punitive tax, the government of Australia is proposing financial incentives to encourage businesses to improve their overall energy efficiency. They are undoubtedly aware that governments elsewhere who have opted to levy a carbon tax, have soon paid a price at the ballot box in subsequent elections. Hopefully governments in Canada will carefully consider what has occurred in Australia and avoid a carbon tax and its negative consequences. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on environmental policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

It was three years ago that Stephen Harper's Conservative government said it planned to introduce the First Nations Property Ownership Act, which would expand property rights for Canada's Aboriginal people, but we still haven't seen the legislation. Such an Act would create a voluntary system of transferring title of reserve land from the Crown to an individual First Nation. The First Nation could then choose to divide up the land and give individual title to band members living on the reserve. Giving such property rights to Aboriginal people would allow them greater opportunity to improve their economies and give families better living conditions on First Nations. Right now First Nations are prevented from fully participating in the economy by review processes and legal restrictions because their land is held in trust by the Crown. The United States provides evidence of a more effective system. Native American land that has been privatized has a stronger economic base than the land that's still held in trust. Canada's First Nations have a good track record when it comes to embracing voluntary initiatives, and Ottawa's recent bad experience in trying to reform Aboriginal education should persuade the government to change its approach and focus now on property rights. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

In the ongoing discussion about climate change, we are frequently misled about carbon, carbon dioxide and “carbon pollution.” Politicians and environmentalists use the terms interchangeably, when talking about the need to reduce our carbon emissions, or 'carbon footprint'. “Carbon” is the main building block in all fossil fuels including coal, and oil and gas. Our vehicles and power plants do not emit carbon, but emissions do contain carbon dioxide. Many blame carbon dioxide for global warming, but quite a few scientists disagree on the extent to which CO2 is responsible for climate change. They argue that carbon dioxide only plays a minor role in the evolution of the world's climate. They point out that over the centuries, an increase in CO2 has come after an increase in temperature, not the other way around. Carbon dioxide is essential to sustain life on earth by enabling plant growth, and it should not be regarded as a pollutant. Plants absorb CO2 and water and produce oxygen that humans and other animals need to breathe. Genuine pollutants, like sulfur dioxide which can cause acid rain, are dangerous for our health and for the environment. Instead of regulating CO2 and worrying needlessly about the phantom problem of 'carbon pollution', governments should focus on reducing pollutants that are real. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on environmental policy, please visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has released its first Canadian Freedom Index. It examines the state of personal, fiscal, and regulatory freedoms in all ten Canadian provinces, and it considers how provincial laws and regulations are affecting our daily lives. Many different factors are measured in each province, including freedom to choose schools, the regulation of alcohol, and property rights. Alberta took first place overall in the Index, with Saskatchewan and BC coming in second and third, and Manitoba in the middle of the pack in sixth place. Comparing regions of the country, Western and Central Canada fared well, while the Maritimes and Quebec lagged behind. The report strongly suggests that provinces which score well when it comes to freedoms are attracting more new residents, while provinces that do poorly on the Index are losing people. Quebec, with its high income tax, sales tax and excessive red tape, is struggling to keep people – especially those with entrepreneurial skills. A society that values democracy and personal freedom provides fertile ground for prosperity and innovation. We should be cautious about trading in personal liberty for temporary security. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. To find out more about the Freedom Index, please visit www.freedom-index.org or visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Steve Lafleur joins the Charles Adler show to discuss the benefits of establishing a road pricing system in Winnipeg.

Canada’s old laws on prostitution were struck down by the Supreme Court last year because they forced sex workers into vulnerable and dangerous situations. Some commentators say that Harper government's new law might do the same thing, and end up back in the courts. If the new law is also struck down as unconstitutional, there might be little else that Ottawa can do to deal with prostitution. Parliament cannot legislate under the criminal code unless the law defines criminal offences and provides penalties. Such action must relate to public peace, order, security, health, and morality. If Ottawa is unable to outlaw some aspects of the sex trade without endangering sex workers, there is little they can do to regulate it. However provinces and municipalities have the power to regulate, since they have jurisdiction over property, civil rights and public health. Recent efforts to pass laws about prostitution have been based on the belief that sex workers are victims, and only provinces and local communities can take steps to help them get out of the business. We can expect to see local authorities play a greater role in prostitution issues in the near future in Canada. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more about our work, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Canadians have been deluged with reports about climate change for two decades, but polls still indicate that in most western countries, only about half of us believe in the science of the issue. Perhaps this is because most of what we hear comes from politicians and often exaggerated media reports, not from scientists. Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, is a good example. The Oscar-winning film was a mixture of entertainment and carefully crafted political propaganda, not a scientific work. As a politician, Gore is used to these kinds of tactics. In the short run, an emotional quote, a dramatic graph, or a snappy rebuttal in a debate, can help win an election. But climate change is a long term, issue-based campaign, and political spin will never hold up to serious scrutiny. The public DOES trust science - scientists are routinely near the top of ‘most trusted professions’ surveys. Politicians, on the other hand, are always near the bottom. If scientists really want to find the truth and win the public over, they need to tell the politicians to stop exaggerating their results for political gain, and let them get on with their work. We would all benefit from a climate change debate based on science, rather than politics. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on environmental policy, visit www.fcpp.org.

The debate over fracking continues to be lively, and there's a lot of misinformation out there. Fracking, or 'hydraulic fracturing', is the injection of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into underground rock formations, to release trapped natural gas. Opponents are concerned about the potential consequences of fracking, particularly on ground water. The documentary 'Gasland', released in 2010, showed a landowner setting fire to the water coming out of a tap in his home, suggesting that it was linked to a nearby fracking site. In fact, the ability to ignite a flame from a tap exists naturally, even in places with no oil and gas development. Fracking has sparked a number of protests here in Canada. Residents of Lethbridge, Alberta were opposed to plans by Goldenkey Oil to drill fracking wells within city limits. They should know that after extensive study, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that fracking poses little to no threat to the quality of drinking water. Supporters and proponents of fracking point out that it means cheaper gas and less reliance on coal, which produces more emissions of carbon dioxide. Rather than relying on alarmist rhetoric, Canadians should study the research, and realize that there's nothing to fear. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on energy policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is under the spotlight in Canada. Supporters argue that foreign workers are definitely needed in certain industries or in regions where not enough Canadians can be found to fill available jobs. Opponents of the program say it takes jobs away from Canadians and drives down wages. Not enough unemployed Canadians are willing to move to areas where the economy is strong and workers are needed. Industries like mining continue to suffer from chronic shortages of workers. If properly managed, most agree that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program can help to balance Canada's job market. Foreign workers can actually help to create job opportunities for Canadians. For example, a hotel manager won’t have a job if he can't find housekeeping staff. Recently in the U.S., Georgia lost an estimated 140 million dollars one year because they couldn't hire enough foreign workers to harvest cotton and other crops. There have been cases where it appears that foreign workers have been exploited. Making it easier for them to become Canadian citizens would help solve that problem. It would allow them greater freedom to move to from one job to another. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. To find out more about our work, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Originally aired on Stuff for Parents. (http://stuffforparents.com/podcasts/whats-wrong-with-our-schools-and-how-we-can-fix-them-part-1/) Michael Zwaagstra is a public school teacher, speaker, research associate with Frontier Centre for Public Policy and co-author of the book What’s Wrong With Our Schools and How We Can Fix Them. Michael and I discuss schools in North America, the challenges they face, questionable teaching methods and philosophies, and what you should know as a parent. If you’re a parent who is concerned about our schools or a teacher who has observed the questionable approaches and practices advocated by so-called experts, you’ll definitely want to tune-in!

Manitoba may be the best place to live in Canada, if you enjoy being self-employed. The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has recently launched its first Entrepreneurial Index. It examines and ranks the best places in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to be self-employed. The research involved analysis and comparison of a variety of laws and regulations that affect self-employed workers in the different provinces, states, and territories. Some of the factors that were examined include income tax withholding rules, medical insurance regulations, contract laws, and processes for resolving disputes. New Zealand enjoyed the top ranking overall, but Canada was close behind. Provinces that scored well were Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories and the northern territory of Nunavut. British Columbia and Quebec are the lowest ranked Canadian provinces, registering a similar low ranking to states and territories in Australia. The research suggests that self-employment may represent up to 25% of the workforce in most major developed countries. All of us in Canada, and our elected officials should consider the importance of self-employment and entrepreneurship, and the impact that regulation can have on the wider economy. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. To find out more about the Entrepreneurial Index, go to: www.entrepreneurial-index.org. Or visit our main website www.fcpp.org

New Brunswick has ranked high in the first ever Entrepreneurial Index released by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and Ken Phillips. He discusses the results on McLean in the Morning.

Teachers play a vital role in providing our children and grandchildren with the knowledge and skills they need to become productive members of society. However, that role is greatly diminished for many teachers these days. They are given little choice but to follow the directives of school administrators, who micromanage anything and everything from how to write comments in report cards to the teaching methods that can and should be used in the classroom. Constructivist teaching is often imposed on teachers, particularly in Alberta. It's a method that encourages students to discover facts and concepts on their own and avoid direct instruction from teachers. The value of such risky, new methods is rarely evident, but teachers are reluctant to complain because in their professional evaluations, administrators will consider whether teachers applied these “student-centered” methodologies in the classroom. We should all be wary of teaching methods that are fads which lack any strong evidence of success. Administrators should give teachers the freedom and allow them to adapt their methods to needs of their students to yield positive and measurable results. Teachers should teach in the way they think best, as long as they can prove their students are learning. I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on education policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org

Gender roles in Canadian society have changed dramatically over the decades. With women participating more fully in the workforce, men are taking on more of the responsibility of child care. Despite this change in family dynamics, the courts still treat mothers and fathers quite differently. In the event of a split, primary custody is almost always awarded to the mother. The courts seem to assume that the mother is the better parent and a father’s most important contribution is financial support. Child support is important, but enforcement can pose a great burden on low-income fathers. While the law does allow for monthly child support payments to be reduced in cases of financial hardship or shared parenting, some judges don't always agree to reducing the monthly payment. The notion of deadbeat dads seems deeply ingrained, but over 80% of fathers make support payments on-time and in the full amount. Courts need to recognize that fathers contribute much more than financial resources to their children. Studies have repeatedly shown that children do better with both parents actively involved in their lives. Judges should aim to see that children maintain relationships with all significant people in their lives. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. To download a copy of the book Ideology and Dysfunction in Family Law, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

With debts of more than $18 Billion, the city of Detroit was declared bankrupt last year, but it's not the largest American city to ever face such a crisis. New York filed for bankruptcy in 1975 but the process was stopped at the last-minute. Detroit is also not alone in dealing with dramatic loss of population. St. Louis has lost a larger share of its population, yet remains fiscally solvent. Serious financial stress is becoming a major problem for other American cities, including Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose. Research shows a strong association between large population and both higher taxes and higher per capita spending. As governments become larger, the individual voter becomes less relevant, and less engaged in the community. When this happens, organized special interests make more demands and seem to exert greater influence. As municipal spending rises, residents resist tax increases. Then cities have to borrow more, and eventually they default on their debt. Such problems have mostly been avoided where local governments are smaller, because elected officials remain more responsive to the needs of the voters. The best chance for the future in Detroit may be in multiple, independent local jurisdictions. Canadians should pay close attention to what happens to large American cities and strive to keep governments here more local. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on local government, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The idea of “buying local” is becoming increasingly popular among Canadians. Purchasing food from a local farmer or a product from a small business is often more gratifying than lining up at a large franchise. Sometimes local products are preferred to imports, because the products are fresher or simply better. But the push to “buy local” can become a problem when people rail against large chains and foreign products. Pushback against products because they aren’t local can have negative unintended consequences. Relying too heavily on locally-grown food creates a dilemma when crops fail because of bad weather, resulting in shortages and higher prices. Global trade which allows food to move all over the world gives us greater variety for our diet, as well as food security. Large scale farming can generally produce more food per acre, while using less energy than small scale local farming. Large retailers are able to sell some goods at a lower price, saving consumers a lot of money in the long run. Some people cannot afford to pay twice as much for their groceries and other necessities. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. And please visit our website www.fcpp.org.

David Vardy gives his speech at a Frontier Centre for Public Policy Luncheon entitled: A Tale of Two Debacles: Muskrat Falls and Manitoba Hydro's Preferred Development Plan.

David Vardy is interviewed by Geoff Currier on CJOB regarding his speech given for the Frontier Centre entitled: A Tale of Two Debacles: Muskrat Falls and Manitoba Hydro's Preferred Development Plan

Custom band elections on First Nations are difficult for many Canadians to understand. Recently, the Garden Hill First Nation in Manitoba adopted new election rules that prevent anyone under the age of 50 from running for chief, and anyone under the age of 40 from running for band councillor. Also, anyone in a common law relationship is not allowed to run for office. It means that 80% of the Garden Hill community is not eligible to run for chief or councillor. As a custom band, Garden Hill is not covered by the Indian Act rules on elections and has been allowed to develop its own election code. However, they are still obliged to comply with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada's constitution. The Charter does not allow discrimination based on age or marital status. But Ottawa's hands are tied, and any band member who feels that their charter rights have been violated must take their case to court. Custom elections offer a degree of self-government, but they can also generate problems. A possible solution might be to establish an independent First Nations electoral commission to develop custom codes that satisfy the Charter. If election codes complied with the Charter, more Canadians would accept custom band elections because they would be more fair. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on first nations policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Saskatchewan government announced it was was scrapping standardized testing. Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher and a Senior researcher with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

All Canadian provinces have laws in place that punish people for texting or talking on cellphones while driving. But the rising number of tickets indicates people are just not listening. Jurisdictions with distracted driving laws have actually seen an increase in collisions compared to similar places that have no such laws. Police officers often catch drivers on their phones at stop lights where it is relatively safe, so drivers are tempted to dial while moving because they're less likely to get caught. These laws also encourage drivers to text or phone from their laps rather than at eye level, causing them to take their eyes completely off the road. The biggest danger in all of this is that using a phone divides the driver’s focus of attention, increasing the risk of a collision. The additional distraction of watching out for police officers only makes it worse. In some communities, officers are posing as panhandlers to catch distracted drivers. Rather than all this effort and expense focused on catching offenders, what's needed is more effective education so that people have a better understanding of the dangers involved. If Canadians do get in a collision because of driving distracted, they should be strongly penalized, but the current enforcement approach is not making things safer on the road. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. And please visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Unemployment is a chronic problem for Canada’s Aboriginal people, but Cold Lake First Nations in Alberta have achieved success that’s worth trumpeting. Band member James Blackman started the Primco Dene Group of Companies. The businesses are wholly owned by the Cold Lake band, includes a catering company, an emergency medical services company, and a well-servicing company, among others. So far the Primco Dene Group employs 650 people, and 500 of them are Aboriginal. Employees may try several different jobs before finding the one they prefer. The result is greater satisfaction for both employee and employer. Some employment policies are specifically designed to accommodate cultural needs. More bereavement days are allowed each year, reflecting the importance of funeral ceremonies in Aboriginal families. A high school diploma is not considered essential, and many employees have been successful in demonstrating their abilities in other ways. They also take a more relaxed approach to things like criminal records checks which can be a major hurdle for Aboriginals to clear. Businesses in Cold Lake do not believe that a past mistake should automatically prevent someone from moving forward into a better life. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on First Nations initiatives, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Cutting through the Edu-Babble - Research Fellow Michael Zwaagstra - Nineteenth National Congress on Rural Education in Canada, Saskatoon, March 31, 2014

Politicians are fond of championing the middle class, but a recent study by Statistics Canada shows that middle income Canadians are doing relatively well compared with those who fall below the poverty line and younger Canadians are falling behind older cohorts. Traditional welfare programs have done little to help those who need it most. One option would be replacing transfer payments to provinces with cash transfers to individuals. Those transfers would go directly to every Canadian. Since it would be taxable, those above the income tax exemption level would see clawbacks that would ensure that low income Canadians benefit the most. Economists on both the left and the right now see cash transfers as an improvement over programs that lock many Canadians into a cycle of dependence. As far back at the 1970s, Manitoba showed some positive results with a guaranteed income pilot program in Dauphin, but there wasn’t much follow-up. Unconditional transfers also have less administrative cost than traditional assistance. Experience has shown that families are generally better at budgeting their money than governments. Additionally, recent graduates who rarely see any of the federal government’s largess would get a little bit of help during a time of high youth unemployment and increasing costs for first time home buyers. We need better outcomes in the fight against poverty, and transferring money directly to individuals would be a good start. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on income policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Michael Zwaagstra joins John Gormley to discuss Education Assessment Fads.

Alison Redford is stepping down, an interview with Robert Murray, Frontier Centre for Public Policy, on how she has been losing the support of her caucus and was unable to maintain support.

More and more Canadians are being victimized by laws that allow authorities to seize assets that are suspected of being the proceeds of crime. In several provinces, property and other assets can be seized even without formal charges being laid, let alone a conviction in the case. Authorities only have to prove, based on a balance of probabilities, that property was acquired by illegal means or was used to help commit a crime. Such laws were originally created to help fight organized crime, but many now argue that the net is far too wide. An example is the story of Chad Squire who was stopped by the RCMP near Brooks Alberta in 2010. Police seized $27,000 from him, claiming that it must have been acquired illegally. In fact it was money he received from selling his house, but it took two years and an expensive court fight before it was returned. 74 year old Elizabeth Thomson of Calgary, watched as Alberta Justice obtained an order against her condo, accusing her son of using the property for criminal purposes. Later, it was revealed that the son had used her address on business documents without her knowledge. Such cases show that all law-abiding Canadians should receive the same protection against search and seizure which is found in the Criminal Code and the Charter of Rights. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on property rights, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The use of textbooks in our schools has been declining in recent years. Many so-called ‘Progressive’ teachers argue that textbooks are a waste of money because all of their content is available online at the click of a mouse. These same educators argue that textbooks are full of biased and out-dated information. But in fact the quality of online information varies widely. Websites are a hit-and-miss collection of good and bad sources, while a well-written textbook can still organize the most important information in a way that most students can easily understand. Quality textbooks are subject to extensive review by experts in the field and representatives of various interest groups. This process weeds out mistakes and misrepresentations. Also, a quality textbook tends to include the perspective of more than one author. An excellent example is a history text called Shaping Canada. It provides a chronological overview of Canadian history and contains many excerpts from primary sources. While textbooks are undoubtedly useful, good teachers should never rely on them exclusively. Additional resources help to ensure that students learn more than what is simply written in a prescribed text. It is definitely too soon to consign textbooks to the recycling bin. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on education policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Part 2 - Michael Zwaagstra, researcher for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, joins the discussion about a petition to change math education in Alberta in 2014. (CKNW-AM)

March 16, 2014 - Michael Zwaagstra, researcher for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, joins the discussion about a petition to change math education in Alberta in 2014. (CKNW-AM)

People laughed when Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman called in the army to help clear snow in 1999. But snow and ice present many challenges for municipal government. When snow is plowed to clear the way for vehicles, parking becomes difficult, and icy sidewalks are also treacherous for pedestrians. After a recent snowstorm in Calgary, dozens of people were injured and taken to the hospital when they fell on icy streets and sidewalks. Snow removal is expensive, and some cities are determined to find a better way. Saskatoon and Edmonton are considering heated sidewalks, and they’re by no means the first winter communities to do so. Holland, Michigan installed a water recirculation system under downtown sidewalks. It has substantially reduced the need for plowing, sanding, and salting. Iceland is blessed with an abundance of geothermal energy, and Reykjavik uses it to keep sidewalks and streets clear of snow. And in BC, the Vancouver suburb of Richmond has begun a heated sidewalk project. Nearby businesses might be prepared to help pay the bill to attract customers. As we finally near the end of this brutal winter, it’s time to consider innovations like these. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on urban issues, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Breakfast on the Frontier with Lorne Weiss on February 19, 2014 in Winnipeg. Title: Funding Education in Manitoba: ​Let's Pay Fair

Lunch on the Frontier with Martha Hall Findlay.

Many economists agree that free trade promotes economic growth, reduces poverty and benefits all countries that participate. The World Trade Organization is supposed to facilitate global trade by helping to reduce and eventually eliminate barriers like tariffs and quotas. The latest round of talks at the WTO have been going on for more than a decade, and at the same time, Canada and other countries have been working independently to broker their own agreements. Last fall, Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement with the European Union. Now Ottawa is close to finalizing a bilateral trade deal with South Korea. The government is also working on the Trans Pacific Partnership, an agreement that will include a total of twelve other countries. If these agreements pan out, it will be three significant deals that our country has negotiated outside the realm of the World Trade Organization. Ottawa appears to be succeeding in opening our borders to world markets, while the WTO process has stagnated. These smaller scale agreements are generally easier to achieve thanks to limiting the number of countries and competing interests involved in the negotiations. Perhaps Canada and our other trading partners are ready to move away from complicated multi-lateral talks when it comes to trade, if the WTO can no longer fulfill its mandate. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on trade policy, visit www.fcpp.org.

For more than 40 years, the government has prohibited offshore oil exploration in BC. Other regions have benefitted enormously by allowing and encouraging such development. Newfoundland and Labrador has gone from being a “have-not” to a prosperous province, thanks in large measure to offshore oil. Thirty percent of provincial revenue now comes from oil royalties. Norway is another great example. With a population of just over 5 million, they have been able to stock away half a trillion dollars in a heritage fund thanks to North Sea oil. Here in Canada we are fortunate to have significant oil and gas deposits in all three of the oceans that we touch on, although severe cold and a short drilling season make development a formidable challenge in the Arctic. Development off the coast of BC would be much easier by comparison. The relatively shallow water allows for well-established technologies and simpler practices than those used in the Gulf of Mexico, where the massive BP spill occurred four years ago. Given all the compelling evidence, the ongoing moratorium in BC on offshore exploration is robbing the province of economic opportunities. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. To learn more about energy policy, go to our website www.fcpp.org.

Frontier Centre Policy Analyst Steve Lafleur makes the case for taxi de-regulation on CBC's The 180.

Prince Edward Island is Canada’s smallest province, but people who live there receive three times as much as they contribute in premiums, when they collect Employment Insurance. EI benefits in all of Atlantic Canada greatly outweigh the premiums paid. The difference each year is about 1.5 billion dollars. Special benefits for fishers on P.E.I. totalled 13.5 million dollars in 2011, and it’s a benefit that’s not available to other self-employed Canadians. The issue of regional subsidies is much larger than that. Spending by Ottawa on training programs in PEI in 2011 was nearly triple what was spent on a per capita basis in Ontario and Alberta. Toronto’s Pearson Airport pays almost 50% of all rents paid by airports in Canada, even though it handles less than 30% of all passengers in the country. The airport in Charlottetown pays no rent to Ottawa at all. The same regional disparities exist in other federal programs. Continuing down this path of economic dependency is unreasonable and risky. Many people who left the Atlantic region in search of better opportunities are now in agreement with those who argue that P.E.I. and the other Maritime provinces should contribute more to building a competitive Canada. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. To learn more about equalization, go to our website www.fcpp.org.

The Frontier Centre has released its 7th annual Local Government Performance Index. It measures 100 Canadian cities on their financial performance and overall transparency. Measuring almost 30,000 individual data points, the Index is designed to shed light on how Canada’s largest municipalities are performing in comparison to others across the country. This year Edmonton was ranked as the most transparent city in the country, along with Markham and Mississauga. Calgary, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat tied for 9th place, and Regina was 14th. Saskatoon and Kitchener are the most improved cities this year, both finishing together in the 22nd position, while the city of Winnipeg placed 47th out of 100. The Index presents absolute, per capita and per household figures for property taxes, debt levels, and total spending. After placing 5th last year, Toronto dropped down to 22nd place, despite getting the exact same score as last year. Average scores are improving across the country, meaning that cities need to improve their performance just to maintain their ranking. Financial transparency is a critical part of municipal government and is essential to ensure that public funds are used in a responsible manner. To learn more, and to see the details about your community’s score, visit www.lgpi.ca. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

Peter McCaffrey interviewed on 630 CHED Edmonton about the 7th Annual LGPI by Frontier Centre

Many air travelers are understandably annoyed when they get bumped from a flight because the airline has overbooked. But it has become a necessary way of life, and it actually reduces the cost of flying for everyone. Air Canada and other airlines offer refundable tickets. This gives passengers the freedom to change their tickets and almost 10% of them never show up for their flights. The airlines use ingenious software to help predict who the no-shows will be and where they will be flying. Business passengers are the number one no-shows, while people on holiday will almost always show up at the gate. Other common no-shows are people who over-sleep, or can’t get to the airport because of poor weather. Costs are high and profit margins are very slim in the airline business. Air Canada pays out a billion dollars a year in airport and navigation fees alone. Overbooking has proven to be an effective way of maximizing revenue and staying competitive. And by no means does everyone complain about overbooking. For every unhappy traveler, there are nine others who will gladly volunteer to forgo their tickets in exchange for compensation. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on travel and transportation, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Anyone in Canada who wants to be a teacher must obtain a teaching certificate. Nowadays most teachers must complete a Bachelor of Education degree from an accredited university or teachers college. Increasingly, those schools that train teachers are getting poor marks from their own students and are held in low regard by other faculties on the same campus. Instead of spending their time learning effective ways of teaching and learning, schools tend to focus on so-called progressive processes of learning. The emphasis is on facilitating experiences, rather than providing basic knowledge. A research associate from the Frontier Centre recently took part in a graduate level course on education foundations. The professor allowed students to write poems and draw pictures to complete their assignments. She also said they were free to suggest their own grade in the course. Provincial departments of Education should explore alternative options to certify teachers. Competition would encourage education faculties to improve their instruction. Also, instead of tying salary increases to the completion of meaningless graduate courses, salaries should be linked to performance in the classroom. Children need well-equipped and grounded teachers, rather than those who are allowed to set their own marks. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on education, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The majority of the world’s population now live in cities. People leave poor rural areas hoping for a better life with more economic possibilities in urban areas. The most successful cities are able to handle population growth and naturally expand their physical size. Now, city planners are concerned about problems related to urban sprawl. Some argue that cities should grow ‘upward’ rather than ‘outward’ – a policy known as Densification. It tries to establish urban boundaries and replace private vehicles with mass transit, as well walking and cycling. However, Densification has difficulties of its own, such as greater traffic congestion and poor air quality. Transit can play a crucial role in moving people downtown, but it cannot effectively compete with the automobile in a city that is already spread out. Densification is also a major factor in higher house prices. Families with better incomes end up buying cheaper or smaller houses that could have otherwise gone to a low-income family, who may now be pushed out of housing completely. In short, Densification reduces mobility and increases the cost of living. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on urban planning, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Newfoundland's Finance Minister has suddenly resigned. He disagreed with the Premier's risky and increasingly expensive quest to have a Crown Corporation, Nalcor, build and transmit power from Muskrat Falls, Labrador, to export to the eastern seaboard states. Ontario wasted 1.2-billion dollars by supporting, then cancelling, two generating stations. Before that, the province offered contracts to solar power operators at a price six times the average Ontario rate, right before the cost of solar panels collapsed. This in a province where consumers are paying off 20-billion dollars of losses on nuclear plants and power contracts. Now Manitoba's government is flirting with financial disaster with its 34-billion dollar hydro dam building plan. Construction cost estimates have more than doubled, while cheap shale gas in the U.S. has collapsed the power prices Manitoba Hydro can expect to receive. Knowledgeable critics have warned consumers that their rates could end up tripling if the plan is fully implemented. And, in B.C., consumers face a 26 percent rate hike, due to past creative accounting. If consumers were served by private companies with shareholders' money at risk, not consumers’ or taxpayers’, fewer financially-ruinous electricity schemes by politicians would be possible. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on electricity and crown corporation policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

New school trustees were elected in Alberta recently, and several of them have identified class size as a major public concern. But they and their colleagues in Manitoba and Saskatchewan should be looking at the larger picture. If school boards would focus on how to direct funds appropriately, the issue of class size would take care of itself. All across the region, resources are flowing into schools that are now half-empty. If funding followed each student directly, higher enrolments would automatically mean larger budgets, and lower enrolments would mean lower budgets. Classrooms with 40 kids or more would not exist if schools had a budget directly tied to the number of students. Such a funding model would also mean that parents could send their children to any type of school they wish without having to pay extra for the best possible education. Right now, some parents are paying private school fees as well as property taxes to support public schools that their kids don’t attend. Rethinking the way we pay for education on the prairies is long overdue. It is the key to providing students with quality education. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on education, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Environmental extremists like the public to believe that the debate over the oil sands is a choice between economic rewards or a healthy environment. But Canada and Alberta can have both. The oil sands are being developed in a responsible way. Only three percent of the surface area is minable, and only a fraction of that is being dug up. The land is restored after mining operations are finished. Steam-assisted gravity drainage is used whenever possible, with a relatively small environmental impact because it involves no mining at all. Activists say the oil sands are a major contributor to climate change. The truth is, Canada only generates about 2 percent of global emissions of greenhouse gases, and less than 8 percent of that comes from the oil sands. The public is told that oil-sands operations require huge amounts of fresh water. The truth is, the city of Toronto consumes more than twice as much water, and up to 95 percent of the water used by the oil sands is recycled. The oil sands employ thousands of people and provide much needed energy. Canadians cannot afford to allow the propaganda being put out by extremists to go unchallenged. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on energy and the environment, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

A rural Manitoba woman was recently fined $10 for sending her two kids to daycare with a lunch that was deemed nutritionally unbalanced according to Canada’s Food Guide. The meal included roast beef, potatoes, carrots, an orange and milk. To comply with provincial rules, the daycare added Ritz crackers because a grain product was missing. The Food Guide recommends that Canadians eat specific amounts of vegetables and fruits; grain; milk products; and meat. There are some obvious problems with the Guide. It fails to recognize similarities across food groups, and the vast difference between different foods within the groups. One might substitute a grain with fruit, since fruits can contain as least as much dietary fiber as many grain products. On the other hand, rye bread is more nutritious than white bread, and spinach is more vitamin-rich than iceberg lettuce. Nutritional needs can also vary dramatically from one person to another because people have different body types. We have a responsibility to see that children are properly nourished. But the focus should be on basic food safety, and requiring food producers to do a good job of providing dietary information to consumers. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on nutrition, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

For too long, Canadians have watched as governments have entered into bad and costly labour agreements with public sector employees. Now that the politicians can no longer afford these expensive contracts, the rights of public sector workers are being altered without appropriate justification. The Government of Alberta recently introduced Bills 45 and 46, which would limit the right to strike in the public sector and allow the government to impose contracts unilaterally. In Ontario last year, the government passed the ‘Putting Students First Act’. It imposed contracts on teachers and others in education, despite massive opposition. Ottawa is proposing drastic changes to the rights of federal workers in Bill C-4. Under this legislation, the government will be able to unilaterally expand the definition of the essential service and restrict rights to bargain collectively. Nobody likes to be inconvenienced by strikes or protests, but these are fundamental rights provided to workers under the Charter and various labour relations acts. It has become easy to blame unions for labour unrest, but governments are sometimes equally to blame. They have given in too often to union pressure. The process of making changes to the rights of workers must be as fair and transparent as possible. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on the public sector, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Many Canadian parents reject home-schooling as a viable option for their children because they don’t want them to be socially awkward. But nothing inherent about home-schooling points to that as a likely result. Home-schooled children have contact with neighbours, in extracurricular activities, and with children of co-workers and other home-schoolers. Some people assume that parents who home-school their kids want to instill specific religious beliefs, but there are many different motivations for homeschooling. Some dislike the values that are promoted in schools, others have high academic standards and little faith in the public school curriculum. Often, parents want to focus on a particular strength or weakness in a child in a way that a teacher with responsibility for a whole class cannot. Athletes and musicians often prefer home-schooling so they have more time for training. Homeschooled children can often accomplish a lot more in a shorter period of time because they are not spending hours riding buses or interacting with peers outside the classroom. Home-schooling provides students with opportunities to pursue different interests with a variety of people, rather than becoming locked into a group of students who are same age. Parents who are concerned about the quality of their children’s education, should keep an open mind when it comes to home-schooling as a possible option. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again in 2014 for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on education, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Environmentalists frequently raise alarms about fracking, and Canadians should be given more information about the process. There are naturally-occurring fractures, but often rock formations are too impermeable to allow oil and gas to be extracted. A fracking fluid is pumped into the formation, causing cracks to form. The resulting fractures allow oil and gas to flow into the well. Some people are worried that frac fluids could contaminate groundwater. The danger is avoided when drill wells are properly cased as they penetrate aquifers to reach the rocks below. The fractures are deeper than the aquifers, and the thick mass of rock in between prevents undesirable fluids from seeping into the water. Over millions of years, some gas can naturally seep through rock mass to reach water, but fracking has nothing to do with it. Some people are worried that fracking causes earthquakes. Earth tremors do occur in drilling operations, but most often they are too small to be felt. Precision instruments are used to monitor any tremors. Fracking has been around for decades, and in recent years it has greatly increased the supply of natural gas, and lowered the price for all of us. The technology is allowing North America to be more self-sufficient in energy, and it’s creating export opportunities for Canada. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on energy policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

There is renewed discussion in Alberta about building a high-speed rail link between Calgary and Edmonton. The idea has been around in one form or another for more than 30 years, but experience elsewhere in the world suggests that a high-speed train on the Canadian prairies simply would not be economically viable. Right now only two high-speed rail lines are profitable: the Tokyo-Osaka corridor in Japan and the Paris-Lyon bullet train in France. Both areas are much more densely populated than the corridor in Alberta. Even if there were more potential riders, a high-speed train cannot compete with the alternative of driving in a private vehicle along that route. Most people will find it cheaper and more convenient to drive or carpool than pay for a train ticket, especially when you consider that they would still need to rent a car or take a taxi to their final destination. Environmental considerations are not a significant plus. High-speed trains take more energy than conventional trains, planes or motor vehicles. The Alberta government simply cannot afford such an unproven high risk venture that taxpayers would inevitably end up subsidizing. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on transportation policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

All across Canada, but particularly on the prairies, builders complain about shortages of skilled trades people, but there’s a vast pool of unrealized potential among First Nations youth. Native reserves have a booming young population, and chronically high rates of unemployment. Governments and the private sector often turn to immigration to fill such needs, but the answer could be right in our own backyard. Obsolete regulations are one of the roadblocks that prevent this from happening. Provinces regulate the number of apprentices that can be hired based on the number of existing journeypersons who are ticketed to work in the various trades. These ratios require many companies to lay off apprentices or to leave positions vacant in many cases, for reasons that don’t make much sense. Most provinces are moving to ease these restrictions, and governments should focus on things like safety standards instead of regulating the rate of entry. Education requirements are also a problem. Most trades require a high school diploma which Aboriginal young people may not have for a number of reasons. Governments should introduce skills-based examinations as an alternative. Steps like these would ensure that aboriginal young people can be a key part of the solution to the skills shortage in Canada. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The Idle No More protests were in reaction to Ottawa’s agenda when it comes to Aboriginal policy. But there are a number of initiatives that First Nations can voluntarily opt into and benefit from. The First Nations Land Management Act is federal legislation that allows bands to control their own land and resources. In a similar vein, bands can be certified by the First Nations Financial Management Board. It allows them to borrow millions of dollars at preferential rates. First Nations can also be certified under the ISO 9001 program, an internationally recognized standard that makes communities more attractive to outside investors and businesses. The Membertou First Nation in Sydney Nova Scotia is a good example of a band that has benefited from this. Unfortunately, many First Nations are not even aware of some of these voluntary initiatives. The bands that have followed such a path can now boast that the majority of their revenues come from their own initiatives, rather than relying on federal policy bureaucrats. Rather than investing time and resources on initiatives that may ultimately be rejected, the government should do more to promote voluntary initiatives that will benefit First Nations. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

More and more Canadians are prepared to pay a premium to buy food that is certified-organic. They believe in good faith that an objective process ensures that the food is authentic. They might be surprised to learn that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency allows any producer to use their organic labels as long as fees are paid and the paperwork is done. The government does not require actual testing to ensure that the food is free of things like pesticide or growth hormones. It was a similar story in the United States, but soon there will finally be random testing there to ensure that organic products are genuine and safe. The American Consumers Union once performed random tests and discovered that one-quarter of organic food contained prohibited substances. They urged the U S Department of Agriculture to introduce testing into the American organic program. In Canada, the Food Inspection Agency ran tests in secret and discovered that almost half of the samples contained prohibited pesticides. But they’re still not prepared to follow the American lead and require testing of organic food before giving producers a certificate. Food that is certified-organic should be verified scientifically, and not sold as such just because the producer has paid a fee. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on agricultural policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Personal income has increased more in Saskatchewan than in any other province over the past five years, and it has put tremendous upward pressure on the cost of housing. The number of households in Regina and Saskatoon that qualify for a mortgage has dropped by 20%.

Ottawa has introduced Bill C-9, the First Nations Elections Act. It comes in response to concerns expressed by First Nations in Manitoba and Atlantic Canada about rules governing the election of chiefs and band councils. Among other things C-9 will allow First Nations to establish fixed election dates. It also cleans up the nominations process for chief and council, and provides for penalties for those who break the rules. The legislation extends the term for chiefs and councilors from two years to four. This is seen as a positive move, enabling bands to better engage in long-term planning, especially when it comes to economic development. With a two-year term, many councilors are perpetually worried about re-election. These are some of the concerns identified by individual band members in the Aboriginal Governance Index which is put together each year by the Frontier Centre. Elections are an important component of the survey. Bands who work to ensure fair and open elections are often the ones who are ranked highest. The provisions of Bill C-9 are voluntary. Bands must choose to opt in. Hopefully that will happen in aboriginal communities on the prairies. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The Canada-Europe Free Trade Agreement is a major milestone for the country. The potential impact will be hugely positive, especially for prairie agriculture. Among the greatest beneficiaries would be cattle ranchers in several provinces. Increased duty-free access to European markets could mean as much an additional $600 million a year in revenue. Similar gains are likely in canola, with a potential doubling of exports from 90 million dollars to 180 million dollars a year. Prairie wheat producers have traditionally focused on high-quality grain for the European market, but the removal of a tariff on low protein product will mean a greater opportunity for all farmers. Barley growers should also experience a boon. Not only will exports of malting increase, but even greater gains may be derived through feed sales to livestock producers. Canadian dairy producers who have long enjoyed the protection of supply management are upset about the increase in Europe’s cheese quota, and they are anxious to protect the high-end cheese market which might be jeopardized by the free trade agreement. But the deal has been signed, and once it’s ratified by the 28 member countries of the EU, Canadian agriculture will see a massive net benefit. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on agricultural policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Activists are continuing to work hard in an effort to block the construction of major oil pipelines like the proposed Northern Gateway project. As a result, oil companies have turned to alternatives, like moving crude by rail. But the tragedy at Lac Megantic, Quebec strongly suggests that such alternatives pose greater dangers to people and to the environment. Terrible spills have occurred in the past when oil moves across water by tanker. With fewer pipelines transporting Canadian oil across the country, we need to import more oil from overseas. Pipelines involve a much lower risk of spills and derailments. They can be routed away from populated areas. Modern pipelines also have leak-detection systems that will shut them down automatically if a rupture occurs. Shipping oil by rail, truck or tanker can also mean the release of more exhaust and pollutants into the atmosphere. Fuel is essential to heat our homes on the prairies. It also allows us to safely and quickly travel long distances, and it sustains our standard of living. Experience has shown that pipelines are the safest and most responsible way to transport fuel. I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier. For more on energy policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.