|
"Vers un accord de libre-échange entre le Canada et l'Europe" by Jean Charest On October 1, Quebec Premier Jean Charest delivered the keynote address at the 35th anniversary gala of the Fraser Institute in Montreal. Here are extracts from his speech on the proposed free trade agreement between Canada and the EU. "Oil tethered to fundamentals" by Todd Hirsch [summary not available] "Canadians overwhelmingly support universal health care; think Obama is on right track in United States" by Nik Nanos Nine Canadians out of ten support the principle of universal health care with a single insurer — the government. The principle of universality is itself the most popular feature of the public health care system, while waiting times are identified by a wide margin as the biggest problem. Seven Canadians out of ten also think Barack Obama is on the right track with his health care reform proposals in the United States. Contributing Writer Nik Nanos reports on the findings of his latest exclusive poll for Policy Options. "The presidential bully pulpit and the continuum of US health care reform" by Antonia Maioni Health care reform is a century-old issue in the United States. First proposed by Teddy Roosevelt in the 1912 presidential election, it has been part of what he called the presidential “bully pulpit” ever since. From Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal to John F. Kennedy and the New Frontier, US presidents have proposed health care reform in one form or another. But it wasn’t until Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society that Medicare and Medicaid were adopted by Congress. Successive presidents, from Jimmy Carter to Bill Clinton, have proposed further reforms of this incomplete and expensive system, to no avail, as each time they bowed to powerful interest groups, lobbies and conservative members of Congress — Republican and Democrat alike. Now Barack Obama has made health care reform the centrepiece of his domestic agenda. Contributing Writer Antonia Maioni, a noted authority in the field, looks at the policy continuum of American health care reform. "Confronted by critics, haunted by history" by Gil Troy In pushing health care reform, President Barack Obama is confronted by contemporary critics and haunted by history. Americans are ambivalent about big government, not just since Ronald Reagan but since the American Revolution. A review of American attitudes toward government since the Revolution demonstrates this tension between Americans’ desire for government help and their fear of government intrusiveness. Obama also must learn from Bill Clinton’s health care reform failures. Like Obama, Clinton was popular and aware of the Great Society’s failures. Nevertheless, Clinton failed to make the sale, as Republicans caricatured the program as a big government power grab. "The American health care debate: an unfinished lesson in politicking" by Colin Robertson In addition to generating lots of media and political heat, the American health care debate also provides an insight into the role of government as well as into the heart and soul of American politics — the polarization between Democrats and Republicans and the importance of factionalism within the Democratic coalition. The campaign promises to be one of the most expensive in history, and both sides are utilizing the techniques of Madison Avenue and the technology of Silicon Valley. Canadians should watch the continuing debate, because it offers lessons on the American system, and the outcome will also effect how we deliver our own health care. "American health care is sick…but so is ours" by Robin V. Sears The United States spends twice as much as a percentage of GDP on health care as does Canada. And for all the failings of our system, the principle of universal and portable health care remains intact. In the US, an estimated 40 million Americans have no coverage, and millions more are losing their insurance because they can’t afford the premiums. The one-sixth of the American economy represented by health care costs adds up to “an almost unimaginable $2.3 trillion,” writes Robin Sears. “That is nearly twice the size of Canada’s GDP and is more than $10,000 for every American family.” But, he adds, there is no reason for complacency on this side of the border where, despite some reforms and economies of scale, costs are also reaching unsustainable levels. "Le système de soins de santé : un avantage compétitif pour le Canada ?" by Jeremy Leonard Compared to its southern neighbour, Canada suffers from a number of competitveness gaps, especially as a result of inadequate investment and a low level of innovation. The dollar's recent strength has exacerbated these differences. But Canada also has significant assets, writes Jeremy Leonard. In this paper he compares the health care systems in the two countries and concludes that the Canadian system is more efficient than its US counterpart. Not only does it produce more positive outcomes, as shown by various health indicators, but it does so at a much lower cost to businesses. In addition, he notes, the Canadian system helps to keep foreign investment in the country, even though he admits that incentive plays a relatively minor role in the initial decisions of foreign companies to invest in Canada. "Health care: America waits for Godot" by David T. Jones From Washington, David Jones notes that the US health care debate “both puzzles and irritates Canadians.” It puzzles them because Canadians generally regard universal health care as a right, not a privilege; and it irritates them because critics of a public option in the US invariably point to Canada as a place where the health care model is broken. But, as he notes, the most obvious flaw in the Canadian model is that taxpayers “pay up for health care throughout their working lives” and then find diagnostic treatment or surgical procedures only available to them with long waiting times. Meanwhile, back in the United States, it is far from clear what a consensus health care bill will look like, whether one will pass by year’s end or even at all. This is Washington, where interest groups and lobbyists often have the last word. "From the G8 to the G20 - to Muskoka, via the UN" by Jeremy Kinsman As the G8 morphs into the G20 in Muskoka, Ontario, next year, questions arise about Canada’s role on this broader summit stage. As Contributing Writer Jeremy Kinsman notes: “It is widely assumed that Canadian influence and prominence on the world stage will necessarily shrink” with the arrival of emerging global players, including China, India and Brazil. But Kinsman also observes that “much of Canada’s connectedness has to do with international civil society, NGOs and research webs.” Next year, Canada has “a special opportunity to make a crucial difference,” as host and co-chair of the Muskoka summit, and as a candidate for membership on the UN Security Council. "The new global governance: time for a great leap forward" by John Sinclair We live in turbulent times, with the global economy still on life-support. Having reached here through decades of industrialization with roots in cheap energy, we are confronted by strong rivals in the emerging economies, as well as the existential threat of global warming. The institutional framework we built at Bretton Woods is now vulnerable. Power relations are in flux. The G8 that Canada fought to join is doomed to rapid decline as the new multi-polar world seizes upon the G20 as the framework to drive global economic, soon political, governance. To protect our relevance Canada should lead that transition at Muskoka. "Les gouvernements minoritaires sont-ils devenus la nouvelle norme ?" by Louis Massicotte In the past five years, three federal elections have been held in Canada without producing a majority government. Notes political scientist Louis Massicotte, politicians have responded by resorting to minority rather than coalition governments. He asks: Have minority governments become the new norm? He reviews the reasons invoked to support that conclusion but rejects this line of thinking, arguing that Canada's first-past-the-post voting system, and politicians’ and voters’ preferences, support majority government. "Making minority government work" by Graham Fox Contributing Writer Graham Fox joins the conversation of our October thematic on minority government, and suggests that while the current phase of minority House is indeed of the transitional variety, it’s not known whether the transition is to a new majority period, or whether minority government will become a more permanent feature of our affairs. As long as the Bloc Québécois plays a dominant role in Quebec, majority outcomes are unlikely. “In order for Parliament to work,” he concludes, “ ‘the duty to oppose’ must rest on notions of answerability, accountability and constructive disagreement — not blind opposition.” "Afghanistan: no security, no governance" by Nipa Banerjee The former head of Canada’s aid program in Afghanistan takes a clear-eyed look at development efforts there and concludes that “violence needs to be contained for laying the foundations of effective development.” Canada’s espousal of the 3-Ds — development, diplomacy and defence cooperation — has been “backed up by no clear definition of the term — especially in the context of the new development zone Canada was entering.” As for training Afghan troops: “Few, if any, units of the army are yet strong enough to resist aggression independently.” But, she also notes: “The Taliban movement does not represent popular resistance to the Afghan government or the foreign troops. Abandoning Afghanistan at this stage is certain to result in a Taliban takeover of the country and clear the field for al-Qaeda’s return.” "Carbon capture and storage: no mere pipedream" by C.J. Szmurlo Jr. When it comes to climate change, the energy industry has a choice between being part of the problem or part of the solution. When it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture and storage is one proven way to go. A prominent example of this process is the EnCana project at Weyburn, Saskatchewan, which “is expected to store more than 30 million tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of of taking 6.7 million cars off the roads for a year,” writes Chuck Szmurlo, a senior executive at Enbridge in Calgary. "Déroute social-démocrate" by Alain Noël [summary not available] |
