HALIFAX, NS – Today, the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) released its Platform for Nova Scotia. This document outlines a series of implementable policy proposals for the province’s next government. The recommendations cover all of AIMS’s research areas, including energy, immigration, education, healthcare, and finance.

This Spring, the Institute surveyed dozens of leading minds in Nova Scotia about the province’s future. Respondents discussed their concerns about Nova Scotia, including low growth, decaying public institutions, and demographic stagnation. To reverse decline, this group proposed many original and helpful insights for public policy reform.

Among the thought leaders approached for the platform project were economic development experts, former elected representatives of all three major political parties, entrepreneurs and industry representatives, academics, students and doctors. Also among the group were former Members of Parliament, members of the Order of Canada, and several PhDs.

AIMS Platform for Nova Scotia coincides with the 2017 provincial election campaign. The paper is co-authored by Research Coordinator Jackson Doughart and Operations Manager Alex Whalen.

“Public policy in Nova Scotia is stuck with political consensus around government-centric approaches that simply don’t work,” said Marco Navarro-Génie, President and CEO of AIMS. “Our Platform for Nova Scotia is a market-focused alternative, whose objective is greater economic growth: the only recipe for future prosperity in the province.”

The Platform for Nova Scotia identifies three main challenges with the present state of affairs in the province:

  • a sense of disenfranchisement and lack of accountability
  • anemic economic growth
  • unsustainable spending habits.

To combat these challenges, AIMS recommends a growth-oriented policy regime, based on a better tax and regulatory model to replace government-centred economic development. AIMS advocates for incentives to create new businesses and jobs, and for greater immigrant attraction and retention.

Among the proposals are implementing toll roads, eliminating school boards, overturning the moratoria on hydraulic fracturing, greater local governance for healthcare, and consolidation of provincial government services.

AIMS is Atlantic Canada’s only independent public policy research organization, publishing peer-reviewed studies on a wide range of topics, including healthcare, education, public finance, energy and trade. The Institute supports a free-market economy and sound public policy. Unique among regional think tanks, it operates entirely free from government subsidy.

For a complete list of AIMS Platform recommendations, visit www.aims.ca/platform.