Alphabet soup of federal programs is bad for Atlantic Canada
In this editorial from the 12 December 2002 edition of the National Post the writer echoes AIMS’ oft repeated concerns about the negative economic effects of the over $180 billion in federal transfers into Atlantic Canada since the 1950’s. Targeting the recently released report about the Fishers Employment Insurance program the writer highlights the disincentives to finding long-term employment created by a program where, in some cases, you can "qualify(ing) for [FEI] benefits with as little as a day's fishing effort, and collecting benefits for the rest of the season."
AIMS in Maine on Canadian health care
Interest in the Canadian health care system remains high in the United States. Given the prominence AIMS has achieved in the health care file in this country, Institute President Brian Lee Crowley was recently invited to a major Maine Public Policy Institute health care conference in Portland, Maine, to talk about the relevance of the Canadian model to the US.
Restoring prices for services drives productivity & efficiency in Swedish health care
One of AIMS most popular commentary series. Johan Hjertqvist, internationally known health care reformer, discusses the positive effects of the reintroduction of prices for health care procedures.
Newfoundland Exploration Industry Faces Highest Taxes in Country; A heck of a way to treat your local heroes
As AIMS Fellow on Newfoundland Issues, Peter Fenwick says in this new piece, in 1996 Voisey's Bay discoverers Al Chislett and Chris Verbiski were Canadian prospectors of the year; feted in their home province of Newfoundland, and given honourary degrees from Memorial University. They were the home-grown boys who would lead Newfoundland to prosperity. But that most-favored-son status didn't last long. Today their exploration company, Archean has the dubious distinction of being the highest taxed company in Canada. The two prospectors are now considering moving their company to a lower taxation province.
AIMS’ report far more useful than Romanow’s
In this piece from the Daily News, commentator Charles Moore explains why he thinks the recent AIMS study “Definitely NOT the Romanow Report” is a much more compelling and informative look at health reform than the recently released royal commission. As Moore points out, almost a year ago he was able to accurately predict the content and direction of the Romanow study: a recommendation for the continuation of a public, single-tiered, no user fee system with higher funding. According to Moore, these obvious and predictable conclusions “merely rehash(es) the prejudices and preconceptions that brought Canadian health care to its current difficulties.” This is why he is encouraging everyone to” download a copy of “Definitely NOT The Romanow Report” and check (it) out for yourself at www.aims.ca/Publications/Notromanow/notromanow.pdf.
Romanow’s report puts his values in the place of Canadians’
In this piece, which has been reprinted across the country, AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley shows how what Roy Romanow heard from Canadians was transformed into what Mr. Romanow wanted Canadians to say – a skilful ventriloquism act. What the Romanow Commission heard from focus groups across the country was pretty much what Canadians have been telling pollsters for the last several years. Canadians are a down-to-earth, non-ideological, practical people. They're interested in what works and they're interested in real solutions to the growing evidence of the accelerating decline of the health care system. But that didn't square with the views of Mr. Romanow and his merry band. So they marched their focus groups into a room, and presented them with "expert opinion" to show these poor benighted citizens why the things they were willing to try were bad. Unsurprisingly, on being presented with what seemed to be an objective and authoritative debunking of ideas that had seemed practica