We have talked a lot in recent years about the rising trend of NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard) across New Brunswick. Combine our aging population with a rising cynicism of government and a social media environment where ideas (good…
Continue ReadingJason Kenney and the Startup Visa
Jason Kenney has been in Silicon Valley peddling the new Start-up Visa. He tweeted at least a couple of dozen times about it including this picture in front of a new ‘cheeky’ billboard. The issue for New Brunswick and the…
Continue ReadingUsing government business as a carrot for something bigger?
This is an age old issue and one that stirs up debate on all sides. The government spends a lot of money on suppliers. Even in a place like New Brunswick, the amount spent on all suppliers from all levels…
Continue ReadingThe importance of anchor employers
Believe it or not this is actually one of my more controversial views. I think it is important for communities large and small to have a few large, anchor employers – respecting the fact that ‘large’ is a moving target.…
Continue ReadingMore on Saint John’s leaky immigration hypothesis
I’ll pre-empt some emails and calls by further explaining my data for the column in the TJ today. In it, I raise the issue of the discrepancy between the estimated annual new immigrant numbers to the Saint John CMA compared…
Continue ReadingThe EI dance in the dark
Victor Boudreau is one of my favorite politicians but his comments in the paper reflect the challenge we face when trying to have a substantive debate on EI. He says: “No amount of training will change the fact we have…
Continue ReadingThe Jerkstore called. Do we need a few more?
I read a lot of biographies. In the last six months I have read biographies of CS Lewis, Calvin Coolidge, Catherine the Great, Genghis Khan, Thomas Jefferson, Rasputin, Glenn Gould, Lyndon Johnson, ExxonMobil, Winston Churchill and a book that was essentially…
Continue ReadingDo we need more jerks?
I hope you get a chance to read my column today in the TJ. I will post it hear sometime next week. It’s a bit clunky and the argument is thin but the kernel of the idea is one worth…
Continue ReadingDemystifying the benefits of out-migration: Smaller may not be better
I used to make the statement that bigger is not necessarily better and we may have to ‘right size’ the population of certain areas of Atlantic Canada to bring it more in line with the size of the economic pie…
Continue ReadingAlward wont’ fall on the EI sword (at least willingly)
One of the interesting things about Canadian politics is the wide variation between the parties and their ideology depending on where you are within the country. A Progressive Conservative in Alberta has only the most basic ties with a PC…
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