Op Ed

Affirmative action to revise outcomes is a bad idea.  There… I have said the unthinkable.  Now before my friends and colleagues strike me off their invitation lists and my inbox groans under the weight of inbound indignation, I need to explain myself. Read Full Article … [Read more...] about Affirmative action beneficial, but also risky

When politicians debate whether deficits are needed for economic stimulus, the entire discussion is pointless. It’s not the deficit that matters, it’s how it is spent. Imagine your household were a break-even operation — your income covers food, utilities, entertainment, home and transportation costs. Now you decide to go to the bank and take out a loan for additional … [Read more...] about Governments must make more prudent investments

The news Wayne Smith, the chief statistician of Canada, has resigned should worry us. He is the second chief statistician to resign in six years. After serving just two years, Munir Sheikh resigned in 2010, in objection to replacement of the long-form census with a voluntary survey. Prior to that, Ivan Fellegi had served in that position for 23 years. Why should you and I … [Read more...] about Impartial data essential for economy, democracy

What do canola and students have in common? If you had answered "China," go to the head of the class. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has returned from his latest charm offensive with the hope that Canada has worked out a firm deal on canola exports to China. Farmers can breathe a sigh of relief… or can they? Read Full Article … [Read more...] about Playing nice won’t work in negotiating trade deals

According to opinion polls, Canadians are accepting the idea that humans are changing the climate. While our readiness to undertake major lifestyle changes remains uncertain, the political rhetoric is also warming. The provincial premiers and the prime minister tout their favourite magic-bullet remedies for climate change. Read Full Article  … [Read more...] about It’s time to implement a national gas tax

The extended controversy over the proposed Energy East pipeline reveals fatal flaws in how we collectively decide on the benefits and costs of resource mega-projects. With the collapse of oil prices, Canadians can see how natural resources support our standard of living. Recent estimates from Statistics Canada suggest this sector underpins 20 per cent of the country’s GDP … [Read more...] about Social licence for mega-projects must include all stakeholders

The current imbroglio between the City of Winnipeg and Manitoba Hydro is creating, in the minds of some, a reason for halting the development of the next phase of Winnipeg’s rapid transit plan. However, this is a minor cost — a drop in the bucket of the projected $500-million-plus expenditure for the extension. Still, there are two fundamental reasons for pausing our transit … [Read more...] about Press pause on rapid transit plan 

Census season is upon us. I just received my invitation in the mail to go online and complete the questionnaire. Bold letters informed me to complete the census — "it’s the law." The census remains the backbone of Canada’s official statistics. However, change is sweeping across the world of official statistics. Collecting census data will soon experience fundamental … [Read more...] about Census survey a quaint way to collect data

The guaranteed annual income (GAI) has been touted as an antidote to poverty and inequality. Initiated in the mid-1950s as the negative income tax proposed by Milton Friedman and subject to major experimental studies in the ’60s and ’70s, why does this idea periodically rise, only to fade from public discussion? Read Full Article  … [Read more...] about Guaranteed annual income difficult to implement