My Tory friends and family will be annoyed but I am going to take a shot at Robert MacLeod and his ‘platform’ covered in the TJ today. “We have to think of new ways of doing things,” he said Monday.”We…
Continue ReadingHarper and regional economic development
Just saw Stephen Harper giving a bilingual news conference somewhere in Ontario. He’s certainly come a long way from the squareheaded firebrand, policy wonk that wanted to build a firewall around Alberta. He is sounding Prime Ministerial. He is on…
Continue ReadingThe Agenda with Steve Paikin
You have got to listen to this podcast. It’s from the TVO Agenda program and it is on the now pervasive “Is Ontario getting its fair share” argument. The panelists were all Ontarioians so you will find the discussion what…
Continue ReadingTrusted Conservapedia source
It’s likely that David Jonah, a mentor and confidant of mine, will be offended by this. On the New Brunswick page of Consderapedia, this blog is listed as the source for New Brunswick’s high level of dependency on the public…
Continue ReadingCliff Note Version: US financial meltdown
Greed. Example. My brother gets a mortgage in the Miramichi. The bank will not go more than 25% of monthly income on mortgage payments and requires mortgage insurance. He moves to the U.S. as a temporary worker – gets a…
Continue ReadingIreland and Breakfast Club
Just finished watching the Breakfast Club. Haven’t watched it in years. John Hughes nailed 1984 teenaged angst. Oh to be young and idealistic again. At one point the principal bemoans the fact that these kids would be ‘running the country’.…
Continue ReadingThe Irish Rorschach test
For economic developers and public policy wonks, Ireland is a kind of a Rorschach test – everyone looks at it and sees something different. Some see the billions in EU transfer payments as the most important part of the Irish…
Continue ReadingSelf Sufficiency: Defined
Interesting stuff. I had made the statement that self sufficiency = elimination of Equalization until an astute blogger commented that the definition never made it into the final Self sufficiency agenda and the Premier never equated the two again. I…
Continue ReadingNew Brunswick unveils new provincial book policy
At first glance, I brushed this aside. But upon reflection, I think there may be some merit here. Economic development has two tracks. The short term track is about trying to leverage what we have now for short term business…
Continue ReadingDoes NB need a Danny Williams?
A couple of guys and I were discussing this question the other day while drinking some pop overlooking the Miramichi river. Firstly, I’d like to say that it would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall at…
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