I have said before that I am a fan of Dominic Cardy. He is a sharp guy. Cut his teeth outside NB (always a good thing) and speaks with authority about his ideas. But I worry he falls into the…
Continue ReadingTruth in economic impact advertising
An organization called Resource Works tweeted today the image below. I thought I would post it as an example of what not to do when messaging the economic value of a sector such as forest products. The graphic says “Last…
Continue ReadingShould we tax the rich to help reduce the deficit?
Tax policy in New Brunswick is always interesting. Because the New Brunswick economy is weaker than most, we have to carve off a greater share of our GDP to pay for public services. These day’s provincial government spending is roughly…
Continue ReadingAttracting Amazon women, and men, of course
I have read several articles recent about the increasing number of big e-commerce fulfillment centres popping up all across North America. In fact, this is becoming a serious real estate trend. Amazon.com alone has invested $14 billion in them since…
Continue ReadingPuttin’ on the Writz: Twisted Sister edition
Hugh John Flemming served as NB premier from 1952-1960. LJR served from 1960 to 1970. Richard Hatfield served from 1970 to 1987 and Frank McKenna served from 1987-1997 – but he won three times – he left because of a…
Continue ReadingA taxing affair
The Federation of New Brunswick Faculty Associations takes issue with the NB Business Council’s call for an increase in the HST as one tool to bring the provincial government budget to balance. The FNBFA’s problem is one of decimal points. …
Continue ReadingWelcome to New Brunswick, BCE Inc.
From a recent TJ column: How are we going to build and strengthen New Brunswick’s relationship with BCE Inc.? This was the question that I had after reading about BCE Inc.’s absorption of Bell Aliant this week. BCE Inc., Canada’s…
Continue ReadingWe need a stronger Mittelstand in New Brunswick
From a recent TJ column: Twenty-five years ago in the first year of my MBA program at university, I wrote a paper on Germany’s mid-sized manufacturing firms known as the Mittelstand. At the time Germany was known for its large…
Continue ReadingDoes Nova Scotia have a public spending problem or a growth problem?
In the wake of the announcement this week that the Nova Scotia government deficit had increased to nearly $700 million, pundits decried the out of control public spending and demanded the government tighten its belt. “We can’t afford it” was…
Continue ReadingThe small business pander: Please pass the zantac
The Telegraph-Journal has clips of the NB political party leaders talking about how they would foster job creation and it is awash in pandering to small business. They all want to get back to the good old days supporting the hard…
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