I am sitting in a hotel room in Bangor, Maine. I have been driving in my car over the past couple of days listening to the radio and getting a kick out of the difference between our talk radio (the…
Continue ReadingWith our without you
I have said this before, and you (and my clients) are going to hear it more and more. I have just read three more chapters of Donald Savoie’s book which detail in excruciating detail the federal government’s attempts at regional…
Continue ReadingQuebec’s VC model
This is exactly what I am talking about: Garage Technology Ventures Canada (“Garage Canada”) today announced the launch of its new venture capital fund-Garage Technology Ventures Canada, LP (the “Fund”). Following a first closing of $50 million, with plans to…
Continue ReadingBe careful with this Equalization thing
I am watching the Premier’s debate over Equalization quite closely (as evidenced by the number of blogs on the subject). I just have one sort of overarching point to make today. Using a quick back of the napkin analysis and…
Continue ReadingLabour market incubator gone wild
As I went to work on Thurday, a new colleague of mine at the office was in a foul mood. She’ a native Nova Scotian and one of those very bright kids that left the region and was going to…
Continue ReadingThe New Brunswick Legislature
Shawn Graham is saying that the New Brunswick Legislature is the laughingstock of Legislatures across the ‘Commonwealth’. Upon some reflection, I have to agree. I know this will rub you the wrong way but I’ll say it anyway. The New…
Continue ReadingThe ‘alternate’ Statistics Canada that no one else knows about
Kirk Macdonald is advising everyone to go to Statistics Canada to check out how great New Brunswick’s economy is doing. He may want to retract that little recommendation as going there will reveal serious export troubles, fast rising poverty, the…
Continue ReadingFun with the hansard
Reading the hansard from the New Brunswick legislature question period is a bit like grinding teeth. The posers of questions don’t expect answers and they don’t get them. Then they re-ask the question in another way and they still don’t…
Continue ReadingThere once was a time
Last month, CBC ran a story about Premier Lord receiving the largest salary among Canada’s premiers mainly because of the very large chunk of money paid by the PC party. The local newspaper editor claimed this was great because it…
Continue ReadingRolling the Dice
The fiscal imbalance thing is heating up. The Premiers are in Montreal today to talk about it. According to the TT article today, the Premier says: …..over the long term New Brunswick needs “substantial improvements to equalization and substantial increases…
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