November 2013

Cynically hiding our heads in the (oil) sands

First she was against Northern Gateway — now she’s for it. What a difference an election makes.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark’s reversal on the Northern Gateway pipeline project is typical of these cynical times we live in, when the lure of quick oil wealth outweighs any responsibility for the threat of climate pollution.

As the latest round of global climate negotiations kick off in Warsaw this week, Canadians are becoming increasingly used to...

CPP is the best deal on offer

Bill Robson of the CD Howe Institute argues in today's Globe and Mail that expansion of the Canada Pension Plan would come at the expense of the young. His key point is that any shortfall in investment returns would be financed by bigger contributions from younger generations, whereas any higher than expected investment returns would primarily benefit older contributors.

Robson is correct to note that we cannot be sure about future investment returns, ...

Innovation: re-thinking the role of the state

Mariana Mazzucato’s new book The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths, has created some buzz: her Ted Talk has been widely shared, and the book is being discussed by the Economist, the Financial Times, and in the Globe & Mail by the...