To ensure our economy is not bogged down with old ideas, we need bright, young people with a taste for the new and innovative
‘Everything that can be invented has been invented’. This possibly apocryphal quote is attributed to Charles H. Duell who headed the U.S. Patent office in 1899 and suggested closing the office down. Now we look at all that has been invented and implemented in the 12 decades since and are amused. In the 21st century,…
Free markets and open borders are what keep the costs of food and other goods that we buy down
It is only fair that in a nation as rich as ours, everyone should have a living income. Raising the minimum wage to $20.64 per hour, however, will not solve the poverty problem. That hourly wage is proposed by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and others. First, not all minimum wage earners live in…In Canada and the United States, wages are rising, poverty is falling and spending is on the rise – but we can't be complacent
“The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer. Where are the jobs? And we don’t even want to talk about what is happening in America.” This gloomy recital often follows if I reveal that I'm an economist (a practitioner of the dismal science). But this very widespread perception of the economic world is way too pessimistic. In fact, recent…
A collection of labour organizations, environmentalists and other groups oppose CETA by ignoring the economic benefits
Riots against Canada – in Germany? Canadians like to think we are an example of how a country should be: peaceful, prosperous, democratic, clean and mainly green. We state proudly that the world needs more Canada, especially when compared to nations like Zimbabwe, Syria, Nigeria and other failed states facing tyranny, war, famine and disease. And if anyone demonstrated…
Education institutions view students are customers, and offer programs students are lining up for, whether jobs will be there upon graduation or not
Post-secondary education used to be reserved for the very rich or the very bright. Now, most high school grads are fighting to get into the universities which are expensive and getting ever more choosy. Why? A high school diploma alone does not open doors to a good job or a career. The justification for putting…
No, but because of how students learn today means that the role of the teacher has to change drastically
In the spate of recent violence, one incident that got little coverage resulted in six deaths and more than 100 injured – more than half of whom were police. The event occurred in Mexico in June. It was instigated by teachers who opposed the imposition of mandatory testing on themselves. Although their methods were deeply…Your current workers can do a good job finding suitable workers for free or for a small cost
It is August. Fall clothes and back-to-school items appear in the stores. So do help wanted signs, as students leave their summer jobs hoping to enjoy the last bit of summer before heading back to their studies. Employers are faced with the task of filling those newly vacated positions. Staffing will be a major challenge,…
But we need a policy regime that encourages these innovators to find new ideas, then gets out of their way while they pursue them
How can the sluggish Canadian economy generate more wealth for all of us? We need to find ways to encourage the innovative thinkers among us. We all wouldn’t mind at least a little more income. And most of us would like to see that increase spread around a little more evenly. But Canadian income growth, especially…
Britain's withdrawal from Europe may hurt Canada’s access to the much-larger European markets
Brexit is a game changer but how can one country’s decision to leave an economic union affect that nation, its former partners and the world, including Canada? Any real changes in trade conditions, labour mobility, etc., will take at least two years to define, negotiate and implement. But negative anticipation and uncertainty have already thrown…
Across Canada, significant projects have improved conditions in many communities, thanks to a funding model that demands accountability
First Nations have long been the stepchildren of the Canadian economy. But a funding initiative is changing that. By measures like income, health, longevity, access to services and others, many First Nations people fall well below what are considered normal levels in the rest of Canadian society. The resulting problems rightfully disturb us all. Insufficient and/or…