One of the questions I get asked a lot is “who wins when a jurisdiction goes through a period of strong economic growth”? Of course the answer to that varies widely but we can use Statistics Canada data to assess…
Continue ReadingOh Davey boy the pipes, the pipes are calling
The Wood Buffalo-Saint John oil pipeline project announced yesterday is an interesting one. The reaction ranged from a game changer, nation building exercise to an expensive bluff to get Keystone approval. There are two reasons why this is good for the…
Continue ReadingCommon ground on natural gas development
I see the Atlantica Centre for Energy has produced some new videos under the heading “common ground” where they interview those for and against shale gas development. I applaud this effort and hope we really can get to some common…
Continue ReadingThe ‘long game’ should target a stronger economy
Below is my recent TJ column on EI usage in New Brunswick and how the new reforms may be having an impact. During the 2006 federal election campaign, we were warned that if elected Stephen Harper would slash and burn…
Continue ReadingHarvard business professor Clayton Christensen is, ahem, missing the point
Spare me the clichés but here we go again. Newspaper wants to find someone who will criticize NSBI. Finds Harvard professor. And totally misses the point. From the article: Payroll rebates and other incentives designed to attract businesses to Nova…
Continue ReadingIncremental value of exports. Up by billions with a B!
Just a few points on the story in the TJ today about the rise in exports. Almost all of the net growth comes from the oil refinery and as I point out while that is fine – the value of…
Continue ReadingIf a job falls in the forest, does it make a noise?
The reduction in employment in Canada’s forestry industry has been profound in the past two decades. In 1992, there were over 77,000 people working directly in the forestry sector (not including downstream processing, transportation, etc.) and now it is down…
Continue ReadingWill New Brunswick ever see employment growth again?
One of the most important public policy issues right now in New Brunswick is hardly being discussed at all – beyond a superficial level. Since a small growth spurt in the middle of the last decade, the New Brunswick economy…
Continue ReadingCommuting data affirms importance of cities
Here is my recent TJ column on the role of cities serving as employment centres for broader geographic territories: If New Brunswick is to revive its economy and get back on a path to fiscal sustainability, it will require more…
Continue ReadingLearning from PropelICT
If you didn’t get a chance to read my recent column in the TJ on PropelICT, here it is: In 1972, the crooner Jim Croce warned “you don’t tug on Superman’s cape; you don’t spit into the wind; you don’t pull the mask…
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