I received the following note about my column on Saturday entitled Gerry’s Kids. David – I read your article on Gerry’s Kids (Oct.29th) and was appreciative of your shining the light on one of the biggest job creation forces in…
Continue ReadingThe importance of tech sector exports
Check out this new report on the technology sector in New Zealand. Here’s the relevant piece: New Zealand’s technology sector has broken through the $7 billion mark for the first time. The annual TIN (Technology Investment Network) 100 list, sponsored by Industrial…
Continue ReadingWorking longer – adding to quality of life?
I spent close to an hour with a Statistics Canada economist on Friday trying to frame how we could assess the economic impact of a specific industry in the province. It’s fun interacting with the hard core practitioners of the…
Continue ReadingCities and innovation
Everyone these days is on an innovation kick. Innovation is the new hot idea – the next big thing. Even the provincial government is talking about an internal innovation agenda within the bureaucracy. I hope NB cities don’t miss the…
Continue ReadingThe CFIB and industrial energy rates
I see the CFIB is crying foul over the government’s new way to lower the cost of large industrial customers by allowing them to sell renewable power back into the grid at a good rate (hydro, co-gen, etc.). This seems…
Continue ReadingTalking energy economics today: This isn’t your father’s energy system
I am talking about energy economics later today and not just your basic wellhead to city gate pricing or OPEC price fixing. These days energy economics is more complicated than ever. Think deferred revenue (the pseudo-asset), take-or-pay wind…
Continue ReadingFlat taxes – don’t dismiss them out of hand
I have always had a theory that governments like having a byzantine, multi-layered and highly complex taxation system because a) it virtually ensures that no one ever really knows how much they actually pay in taxes and b) it allows…
Continue ReadingIt’s Consumer Spending, Stupid?
There is a good op/ed piece in the NY Times today that argues increased consumer spending is the way to get America out of its economic funk. I want to look at this from the perspective of New Brunswick and…
Continue ReadingWhere the micro-businesses are in Canada
The Globe & Mail has a story today heralding the micro-business culture in Victoria, BC. It claims that 75% of companies in that community have four or fewer employees. I am not sure where that data comes from. I…
Continue ReadingAnyone else with a comment?
Just a quick update on commenting. I have talked to my techies and they are going to set me up with Facebook commenting which means you will need to access your Facebook account to make a comment. It’s a bit…
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