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IRPP'S THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY PLUS |
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"30 years of IRPP publications" So. Just what has IRPP been up to for the last three decades? After what everyone involved recognizes was a slow start, it has been publishing high-quality research and commentary on a wide range of public policy issues. In 25 pages we provide a taste, both topical and typical, of the kinds of things that have consumed its attention over the years. "Six who made a difference" How is policy research different now than it was 30 years ago, when IRPP was founded? Do think-tanks make a difference? What role should they be playing and what sorts of things do we currently need research on? Those are the kinds of questions that Policy Options editor William Watson recently asked six people who did make a difference—and in some cases still are making a difference—both on Canadian public policy and on the IRPP. Here are edited versions of his interviews with Ronald Ritchie, Gordon Robertson, Claude Ryan, Tom Kent, Michael Pitfield and Monique Jérôme-Forget. "Le passage au numérique des gouvernements" by Yves Rabeau As the author’s earlier article (March 2002) argued, governments can radically alter the way they deal with citizen/clients by taking full advantage of the Internet. It is true that many governments around the world, including in Canada, are offering more services electronically. But they tend to be stuck in old administrative models and have yet to develop a strategy for taking full advantage of the new technologies. Unfortunately, the delay in fully adapting to the Internet is causing significant economic costs. "Is Canadian stem cell policy really 'moderate'?" by Éric Montpetit A popular view of Canada’s policies on assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) is that, as usual, this country is moderate, lying somewhere between the prohibitionist United States and the permissive United Kingdom. Thus the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s recent guidelines allow more extensive research with embryonic stem cells and foetal tissues than President Bush’s 2001 executive order does, but, many commentators argue, impose more restrictions on this research than the United Kingdom’s laws and regulations do. In fact, the U.K. policy regime is much tougher than ours. Private Canadian researchers are essentially unregulated and are free to use even the most extreme variants of ARTs. The federal government has promised action but so far has not delivered, mainly because— uncharacteristically—it wants to proceed by consensus. "Is there a double standard on access to information?" by Alasdair Roberts Canada’s Access to Information Act establishes a qualified right to government information for all Canadians. Critics complain, however, that some politically sensitive requests—often filed by journalists or political parties—are given differential treatment, with longer delays and tougher decisions on disclosure. An econometric analysis of 2,120 requests handled by Human Resources Development Canada in 1999-2001 suggests the complaints have merit: responses to media and party requests take at least three weeks longer and are more likely to exceed statutory deadlines. The federal Information Commissioner needs better tools to deal with problems of delay. "Ontario's new electricity market" by John Grant All around the world, the generation and sale of electricity are being taken out of the hands of protected monopolies and given over to open competition, usually among private businesses. With the opening of both wholesale and retail electricity markets this month, Ontario takes a big step along this road. Important policy questions remain, and reliability will still require careful regulatory oversight. Ontario consumers will see new price volatility, but they will also have the benefit of new choices. The passing of the old simplicities should not be mourned: innovation, efficiency and choice are the bottom line. "The voters' tax credit" by Bruce M. Hicks Voter turnout in Canadian federal elections is now at historically low levels and it usually is even lower in non-federal elections. A number of countries use compulsory voting to increase voter turnout, but some critics argue that forcing people to vote is a violation of their freedom not to participate. Providing voters with a tax credit would encourage but not require them to vote. It could be made less expensive by targeting it at low-income Canadians, a tactic that would have the added advantage of encouraging participation from a group that often faces higher-thanaverage hurdles in registering and getting out to vote. "Book review: Why Kyoto will fail" by Ross McKitrick [summary not available] |
