Selling Provincial Golf Courses “Takes Times”: Henderson
PEI Minister of Tourism Robert Henderson agrees with a new report published by the Institute arguing that the province made a mistake in getting into the golf game as an owner and operator.
Atlantic Provinces Look to Set Standard Public Sector Wages
NB reporter Adam Huras discusses a new development in Atlantic Canada, wherein the four provinces have begun inquiring into whether standardized public sector wage scales could help rationalize public spending in the region and he cites figures outlined in an AIMS report from 2014.
PEI Golf Has Important Lessons for All Provinces, Says Report
Times and Transcript reporter Cole Hobson discusses a paper that the Institute recently released, which its former Director of Research Ian Munro authored, that details PEI's golf tourism strategy and argues that it failed to make good use of taxpayer dollars on the Island. He outlines a number of useful lessons from which other provinces can learn.
Snowed-under Class Time Needs to be Addressed, Minister Says
On the heels of an opinion piece authored by Paul Bennett, New Brunswick's Minister of Education Serge Rouselle makes it a point to say that snow days have become an issue in the province and one that needs a solution sooner than later.
It’s Not About Big or Small, It’s About Good or Bad
In an article published by the Times and Transcript, one author cites a study released by the Institute in 2014 that measures the size and cost of Atlantic Canada's public sector and argues that the issue is ultimately about whether we have the right composition of public sector employment and compensation, not about whether it is costlier or bigger.
AIMS Report Much Too Harsh on PEI Golf Industry
At one point in the early to mid-1990s on P.E.I., building a golf course was considered a licence to print money. A popular story that regularly made the rounds in those heady days was that a farmer went to the bank looking for a loan to expand his agricultural operation and was turned down. The farmer then asked about possible financing to build a golf course instead and the bank asked, “How much do you want?” The golf boom was in full bloom and nothing could stop it. A report released Tuesday by the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies provides a harsh assessment of our provincial government’s involvement over the years in P.E.I.’s golf industry, suggesting it was a poor investment which ended up costing the province millions. The study doesn’t mention the revenue generated by golf nor what our tourism industry would be without our courses. The study is both narrow in scope and often too critical.
Government Calculators Out of Whack
I don’t normally spend a lot of time taking reports from the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) as gospel. The think-tank — a registered charity — describes itself as providing “a distinctive Atlantic Canadian perspective on economic, political and social issues.” I mean, I read AIMS reports — I read everything — but it often seems to me that while the scholarship is fine, the choice of what’s to be studied seems to suit a particular business-based world view. Which probably isn’t surprising, given its funders. (Those same funders get income tax receipts, even in this world where charities that try to affect public policy — at least the ones whose work doesn’t dovetail with the federal Conservatives — seem to get quickly and mysteriously selected for audits by tax authorities). But more on that another day. This week, AIMS released a report on golf courses in P.E.I., and the thrust of the research essentially proves a bit of a truism about government investment in bu
Report Critical of PEI Government Golf Investment
A new report says P.E.I. taxpayers have lost millions of dollars because of the provincial government's investment in the golf industry. Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Henderson says the provincial government will continue to promote and market the golf industry on P.E.I. (CBC) The Atlantic Institute of Market Studies report released today said the investment in golf made in the 1990s did not have the expected economic impact. Public policy consultant Ian Munro prepared the report for AIMS. He said the provincial government is still deeply in debt 25 years after spending millions of dollars to build and operate golf courses. "The strategy may have seemed compelling but a combination of bad luck and strategic missteps resulted in a policy failure," said Munro.
The Cost of Golf Tourism in PEI
In an interview with News 95.7 host Sheldon MacLeod, AIMS author and independent economic and public policy consultant Ian Munro discusses his most recent study, “Short of the Green,” which analyzes PEI’s golf tourism strategy and argues that it left provincial taxpayers on the hook unnecessarily.
One Year Check Up: Looking at the Ivany Report
The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies hosted a panel discussion on Wednesday, February 11 at the World Trade and Convention Centre, which looked into issues that the OneNS commission identified and debated whether Nova Scotia’s economy was headed in the right direction. Panelist and AIMS board member Don Mills appeared on Global TV with AIMS President and CEO Marco Navarro-Genie to discuss the event.