Sometimes I chafe at simplistic summaries of real issues but as a columnist I realize it’s hard to fully make the case for anything in 600 words. But his underlying point that New Brunswick companies need to get a whole…
Continue ReadingWhat’s the value prop?
I see that the State of Maine is running tourism ads on Canadeast.com. What I don’t understand is the words and pictures look exactly like New Brunswick. Why would people want to go to Maine to cross country ski, walk…
Continue ReadingHelps or hurts?
I can see both sides of releasing the CENB report suggesting that the provincial government spends more money on the south than the north in this province. But as someone who has staunchly fought for a new, serious and credible…
Continue ReadingAshton Kutcher and economic development
Hollywood actor and Web-savvy activist Ashton Kutcher says he will “crowd source” questions about the Kremlin’s push to develop a Russian Silicon Valley to his 4.5 million Twitter fans. The actor is part of a U.S. delegation of technology and social…
Continue ReadingCrowding out substantative policy discussion
Peter Lindfield made a really good point in his column this week in the TJ where he talked about the fact that the NB Power debate was essentially crowding out debate on a wider range of very important public policy…
Continue ReadingWhen historians become economists
I don’t like to step too far out of my comfort zone in terms of subject matter expertise. This historian in the Globe & Mail today I think steps outside his area of expertise. He is making the case for…
Continue ReadingThe Quality of ‘the strenuous’ life
This is supposed to be titled Quality of the strenuous life. Not sure what happened. It’s my column today in the TJ. Not sure if this is one of my finer columns over the years but I am trying to…
Continue ReadingVirtual whiteboard
People have been asking me how I would recommend going about the process of selecting targeted sectors to focus on and build up a strong value proposition. I was thinking we could adapt some of the old BCG modelling from…
Continue ReadingAlabamy Bound
There is an old saying that what comes up must come down – eventually. Ontario boomed for 15 years and it hit a rough patch 18 months ago. Alberta boomed. Ireland outpaced the rest of the world for 20 years…
Continue ReadingThere ain’t no place like Alberta
Alberta just came out with their 2010 budget last week. It is a fun thing to read through if you are interested in such things. A couple of interesting things: The life blood. No other province in Canada (except NL)…
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