http://www.irpp.org/index_en.php Policy analysis from Canada's foremost independent think tank en-ca All content copyright IRPP Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST jleonard@irpp.org (Jeremy Leonard) jleonard@irpp.org (Jeremy Leonard) http://www.irpp.org/show_study.php?id=388 Policy Options is now available in digital form. Read us on your iPad, Smartphone, Mac and PC. Prices are: One year online subscription: $ 29.95 (+ taxes) Single issue: $ 3.95 (+ taxes) http://www.irpp.org/show_study.php?id=386 In order to sustain economic growth Canada will need to boost productivity and innovation, and federal policies to foster a more competitive business environment will be just as important as directly supporting innovation for achieving this goal. http://www.irpp.org/show_study.php?id=385 Ottawa has at its disposal a full range of sound policy options that would help address the growing and underfunded care needs of seniors without undermining the leadership role of the provinces and territories in this area. http://www.irpp.org/show_study.php?id=384 To ensure adequate home care services to seniors in coming years, Canadian governments will have to better support informal caregivers and adopt a comprehensive human resources strategy. http://www.irpp.org/po/index.php The cover thematic of the November issue takes a closer look at this fall's provincial elections and the changes in store for our provinces, with articles from a variety of insightful contributors including Tom Flanagan, Robin Sears, Doug McArthur, Jean-Herman Guay and Luc Godbout. Plus, a dossier on the Canada-US Beyond the Border initiative, which includes pieces from John Higginbotham and Lloyd McCoomb. http://www.irpp.org/show_study.php?id=369 Projections show that half of middle-earning Canadians born between 1945 and 1970 will experience a drop in living standards of at least 25 percent when they retire, and that the phased in options under discussion to improve Canada/Québec Pension Plan benefits would have modest effects, so governments will have to look at more ambitious and novel reforms than the ones currently under consideration. http://www.irpp.org/show_study.php?id=368 In the Globe and Mail of April 27, 2011, p.B2, columnist Neil Reynolds focuses in his article "Ottawa falsely assumes perfection from centralization" on Thomas J. Courchene's expert witness paper that challenges the appropriateness of a single national securities regulator. This paper was commissioned by the Government of Alberta and included in the record filed with the Supreme Court of Canada, and thus in the public domain. Courchene is the IRPP's Senior Scholar, and the Institute felt that it is in the public interest to make the paper more widely available to the Canadian policy community. http://irpp.org/summary.php?id=361 Too many older laid-off workers are forced into early retirement because of poor re-employment prospects; creative policies are needed to encourage them to stay in the labour market. http://irpp.org/summary.php?id=360 IRPP Chair Janice MacKinnon is pleased to announce the appointment of Graham Fox as the Institute's new president: "On behalf of the Board and staff at the IRPP, I want to welcome Graham Fox to our team. We are delighted that someone of Graham's energy and experience has chosen to lead our organization through the next phase of its development." http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPStudy/2011/no1_podcast.mp3 A ten-minute interview with Margaret McGregor, co-author of the recent IRPP study "Residential Long-Term Care for Canada's Seniors: Nonprofit, For-Profit or Does it Matter?." http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPstudy/2011/IRPP_Study_no1.pdf In spite of US and Canadian research finding a link between for-profit ownership and inferior quality in residential long-term care for seniors, and the fact that vulnerable seniors are more likely to receive the quality of care they require in nonprofit facilities, the for-profit sector in Canada is expanding at the expense of the nonprofit sector. http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPStudy/no13_podcast.mp3 A ten-minute interview with Bob Baldwin, author of the recent IRPP study "Pension Reform in Canada: A Guide to Fixing our Futures Again." http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPstudy/IRPP_Study_no13.pdf Canada is on an irrevocable path to improving its retirement income system, but whatever reforms are eventually implemented, key questions will have to be answered and difficult philosophical issues resolved. http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPStudy/no12_podcast.mp3 A ten-minute interview with Saul Schwartz, author of the recent IRPP study "Can Financial Education Improve Financial Literacy and Retirement Planning?." http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPstudy/IRPP_Study_no12.pdf With respect to retirement planning, rather than attempting to improve the financial literacy of Canadians, governments should seek to better protect consumers of financial products and services. http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPStudy/no11_podcast.mp3 A ten-minute interview with Patrick Georges, co-author of the recent IRPP study "Canada's Strategic Trade Policy Options: Deeper Continental Integration or Diversification?." http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPstudy/IRPP_Study_no11.pdf There may be considerable economic benefits to Canada of diversifying some of its trade away from the United States, provided that countries with more youthful populations and rapid economic growth, such as India, are targeted. http://www.irpp.org/po/index.php In this special double year-end issue, our cover package is "2010 - The Year in Review." Among the 15 contributions, Nik Nanos analyzes the results of the 2010 Mood of Canada poll; Kevin Lynch and Karen Miske present a global snapshot of Canada; John Manley examines Canada's new role in Afghanistan; Robin Sears, and Susan Delacourt and Don Lenihan, look at the Toronto and the Calgary mayoralty elections; Marie Bernard-Meunier and Paul Meyer present different aspects of Canada's foreign policy; Gil Troy discusses the midterm "shellacking" of US President Barack Obama; Janice MacKinnon dissects the potash takeover bid that wasn't; Tom Kent proposes that we kill corporate taxes; and much more. http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPStudy/no10_podcast.mp3 A ten-minute interview with Tom Carter and James Townsend, co-authors of the recent IRPP study "The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program: Attraction, Integration and Retention of Immigrants." http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPstudy/IRPP_Study_no10.pdf Manitoba's Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) has been successful in attracting and retaining immigrants, according to a new study published by the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP). The PNP is proving particularly useful for smaller provinces in addressing local labour shortages. "Nominees entered the workforce rapidly and experienced low levels of unemployment in the following years," write authors Tom Carter, Manish Pandey and James Townsend. "Close to 90 percent of those working had permanent jobs." The study, "Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program: Attraction, Integration and Retention of Immigrants," provides an overview of various provinces' use of the PNP. Under the program, immigrants seeking permanent residency apply directly to the relevant provincial government rather than through federal government channels.