Sometimes the political need for change sweeps across a province. Take New Brunswick circa 1999 and Canada circa 2006. Evidently Islanders felt the same yesterday. But I hope, upon hope, that the Liberal government on PEI not only continues many…
Continue ReadingOn turismo and Starbucks
I don’t mean to beat the issue to death, but after reading more gushing editorials and comments about the new tourism money from the government of New Brunswick, I just have one question. For all of the pundits, journalists and…
Continue ReadingAnnual pilgrimage
I am heading down south today for my annual pilgrimage. Sao Paulo, Brazil is the destination. A city of 11 million and a metropolitan population of 29 million. But there are great restaurants, lots of things to do. Lots of…
Continue ReadingTime to stir the pot a bit
It’s funny how things go. In the mid 1990s, the Dept. of Economic Dev. & Tourism brought in an economic development guru (I can’t remember his name) and he made a very good presentation on how governments can support effective…
Continue ReadingCry havoc and let loose the dogs of war
From today’s TJ: New Brunswick’s largest public sector union is warning the province’s labour peace could end abruptly if the Liberal government pushes forward with a controversial proposal on merging union contracts. The Self-Sufficiency Task Force’s call for a single,…
Continue ReadingRethinking things
Maybe it’s because I have worked with 11 different economic development agencies (federal, provincial, local and U.S) over the past 12 months. Or maybe it’s because I leave this Sunday on a three week vacation. Or maybe it’s because I…
Continue ReadingBlue sky, green trees, hmmmmm
I had dinner last night with a few of the region’s top economic developers (in my humble opinion) – at least the top thinkers about this stuff. And I posed a question to this gang. Take away all the perceived…
Continue ReadingCourting Mission Impossible
The TJ’s running a story this morning called “Courting Club Fed” about attempts to attract federal government employment to New Brunswick. The article states: In 2005, it [the percentage of all federal government workers in Ottawa] was precisely 31 per…
Continue ReadingLet he who is without a vested interest cast the first stone
I was reminded again recently about how easy it is to criticize attempts to attract industry and grow the economy. An economic developer friend of mine was commenting on a certain corporate interest in the province and why they have…
Continue ReadingHealth care ‘voodoo’ economics
Would somebody please explain the New Brunswick (and while you are at it the Canadian) health care system to me? Specifically, the economics of it. I have an MBA and graduate level education in economics but I can’t figure it…
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