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Canada West Foundation's policy analysts regularly contribute columns to western-based and national newspapers, regional magazines and industry publications. Their recent columns can be read by clicking on the titles below.

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Canada West Foundation Commentaries

February 22, 2010 : What's an elected Senate for?
By Dr. Roger Gibbins & Robert Roach, published in the Calgary Herald, February 21, 2010.
February 12, 2010 : Not doing something ‘big’ is Harper’s big thing
By Robert Roach, published in the Calgary Herald, February 12, the Calgary Beacon, February 15, 2010.
January 28, 2010 : Think twice before beating up on Canada’s oil and gas industry
By Robert Roach, published in the Calgary Beacon, Calgary Free Press January 29, the Prince Alberta Daily News, February 6, the Fox Creek Times, February 15, the Coronation Review, February 16, the Slave Lake Lakeside Leader, February 17, 2010.
January 26, 2010 : Watch what you bite
By Dr. Roger Gibbins
January 19, 2010 : Why Charter Schools Matter
By Shawna Ritchie
December 28, 2009 : Canadians in for difficult environmental challenges
By Dr. Roger Gibbins, published in the Calgary Herald, December 28, 2009
December 22, 2009 : Canadian Politics in 2009: A Pretty Boring Year Overall
By Robert Roach, published The Vancouver Sun Community of Interest Blog, December 22, 2009.
December 17, 2009 : 2000-2009: The Decade That Was
By Robert Roach, published in the Vancouver Sun, December 28, 2009.
December 10, 2009 : A Realpolitik Approach to National Climate Change Policy
By Robert Roach
November 24, 2009 : Far from a backwater: Western Canada and the global community
By Dr. Roger Gibbins, published in the SE Calgary News, November 26, 2009.
November 12, 2009 : The Albatross: Natural Resources and Western Canada’s Economic Future
By Robert Roach, published in the Vancouver Sun Community of Interest Blog, November 4, 2009,  Vancouver Sun, November 12, SE Calgary News, November 14, Vancouver Province, November 15, Alberni Valley Times, November 16, 2009.
October 28, 2009 : There’s No “Province” in Team: A New Era of Interprovincial Cooperation in Western Canada
By Robert Roach, published in the Vancouver Sun Community of Interest Blog, October 30, Trail Daily Times, October 30, Prince Rupert Daily News, November 4, Canada Free Press, November 7, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, November 13, Windsor Star, November 13, 2009.
October 21, 2009 : BC’s Economy: What happens once the Games are over?
By Jacques Marcil, published in The Province, October 22, 100 Mile House Free Press, November 10, Sicamous Eagle Valley News, November 11, Barriere Star Journal, November 16, 2009.
October 19, 2009 : Canada in need of consistently strong, powerful female public policy voice
By Dr. Roger Gibbins, published

in the Calgary Herald October 18, 2009.

October 6, 2009 : Down and Out on Canada's Streets: Promising Approaches for Helping Canada's Forgotten Citizens
By Robert Roach, published in the Edmonton Journal, October 7, 2009, Prince Rupert Daily News, October 8, The Mark, October 13, The Vancouver Sun Community of Interest Blog, October 14, Vancouver Province, October 15, Victoria Times Columnist, October 16, The Vancouver Sun, October 19, 2009.
September 29, 2009 : Getting regional representation right in Canada
By Robert Roach, published in The Vancouver Sun Community of Interest Blog, July 28, Georgia Straight, October 1, Canada Free Press (on-line), October 8, This Week, October 14, Spruce Grove Examiner, October 16, Innisfail Province, November 11, 2009.
September 29, 2009 : Real economic action takes place on stage west
By Dr. Roger Gibbins, published in the Calgary Herald, September 27, 2009, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, October 1, Winnipeg Free Press, October 1, Flin Flon Reminder, October 1.
Some of the most interesting action in well-written plays takes place out of the spotlight. Although the main action appears to be unfolding on centre stage, much of the richness is found on stage left or stage right. This is increasingly the case on Canada's political stage.
September 22, 2009 : Don’t use tax dollars to pillage businesses from other parts of Canada
By Robert Roach, published in the Montreal Gazette September 23, New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, September 25, Ottawa Citizen, September 28, Prince Rupert Daily News, September 28, Ottawa Citizen, September 28, Flin Flon Reminder, September 28, Canada Free Press, September 29, Grande Cache Mountaineer, October 7, The Valley Leader, October 13, Stave Lake Lakeside Leader, October 15, The Packet (Clarenville, NL), October 22, 2009.
Canadians are sometimes derided for not being ruthless enough in the international economy.  It is ironic, therefore, that we are so willing to cut one another's economic throats here at home.
September 21, 2009 : Adding content to an empty election
By Robert Roach, published in the Amherst Daily News, September 21, 2009, Nelson Daily News, September 21, Truro Daily News, September 21, New Glasgow Evening News, September 21, Waterloo Region Record, September 22, Prince Rupert Daily News, September 23, Trail Daily Times, September 24, Yorkton News Review, October 1, Airdrie City View, October 2, Slave Lake Scope, October 9, 2009.
The Liberals failed on Friday to bring down the Conservative government, but Canadians still face the prospect of an election that they don't want and we still have no idea what the election is supposed to be about other than a spitting contest between Iggy and Harper.
September 15, 2009 : Resurrecting Electoral Reform in Canada
By Robert Roach, published in the Truro Daily News, September 16, 2009, New Glasgow Evening News, September 16, September Portage La Prairie Daily Graphic, September 16, Flin Flon Reminder, September 18, Prince Rupert Daily News, September 18, Edmonton Journal, September 21, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, September 18, The Mark (online), September 23, Waterloo Region Record, September 22, The Mark, September 23, Vegreville Observer, September 23, Trail Daily Times, September 24, Winkler Times, September 25, The Valley Leader, September 25, New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, September 26, Airdrie City View, October 2, Moncton Times and Transcript, October 13, Victoria Star, October 21.
Is electoral reform in Canada dead?  The initial diagnosis is not good.
August 23, 2009 : The coming pension plight for our youth
By Dr. Roger Gibbins, published in the Calgary Herald, August 23, 2009.
When the young clerk at my neighbourhood store gave me the 5% seniors' discount after only the briefest glance, and without a word from me, I was both smug and offended. Smug because I had saved almost $2 even though I'm not technically a senior and offended, because the clerk assumed from my appearance I was at least 65 when in fact I'm a youthful 62.
July 20, 2009 : What’s holding up a Calgary-Edmonton high speed train?
By Robert Vineberg, published in the Western Standard, July 20, 2009, Didsbury Review, July 21, Carstairs Courier, July 22.
The release, on July 6, of the Government of Alberta’s report on a Market Assessment of High Speed Rail Service in the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor leads to the consideration of a number of political and policy issues, both provincially and nationally, that might be resolved or, at least, substantially mitigated by a high speed train project.
July 19, 2009 : Most of us know we can't spend our way out of trouble
By Dr. Roger Gibbins, published in the Calgary Herald, July 19, 2009, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, July 23, Western Standard, July 25, Canada Free Press, July 27.
After months of unrelenting bad news about the economy, it is hard not to be just a little optimistic when, rather than the rain beating down, the sun shines and all seems right with the world. Like an earnest gardener, media coverage focuses on any sign of a green economic shoot, any indication that things are getting better. Even if the news is that things are getting worse more slowly, and that unemployment is still rising but not as quickly as we feared, we breathe a sigh of relief.
July 7, 2009 : Prairie Agriculture at the Crossroads: Mythbusting
By Greg Mason, published in the Canada Free Press, July 7, 2009, Portage La Prairie Daily Graphic, July 14.
Myths exist about the strategic position of food, the importance of the family farm to the preservation of rural Canada, and the need to defend Canadian farming in the face of European and American subsidization.  These myths get in the way of creative farm policy.
July 2, 2009 : Prairie Agriculture at the Crossroads: Global Competition and Succession
By Greg Mason, published in the Edmonton Journal, July 1, 2009.

Canadian and prairie agriculture face major challenges in two areas: realignment of global competition and succession. 

For many years, economists promoted free trade as an obvious measure for increasing the income and wealth of trading nations. However, the recent collapse of the Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization negotiations reflects the complexity of managing international trade and shows that access to international markets is never assured. As the BSE crisis illustrates, without access to international markets, Canadian agriculture fails.
June 26, 2009 : Prairie Agriculture at the Crossroads: Time to Leave the Depression Behind
By Greg Mason, published in the Edmonton Journal, June 26, 2009.

Prairie agriculture must transition to a sounder business footing if it is to survive. Taxpayers can certainly continue to meet transitory threats such as BSE, but should not be underwriting the farming sector as a matter of course.

The past three decades have witnessed steady changes in the structure of the farm economy in the developed world. These trends, which are mirrored on the Prairies, include fewer households involved in primary farming; rises in the average age of farm operators to over 60; the emergence of fewer, larger farms; increased concentration of revenue among larger operations; and convergence in family incomes for agricultural and non-agricultural households.  
June 21, 2009 : Wealthy will pay to go on sinning
By Dr. Roger Gibbins, published in the Calgary Herald, June 21, 2009, Winnipeg Free Press, July 2, Ontario Farmer, July 7, Yorkton News Review, July 9, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, July 17, Flin Flon Reminder, July 20.
It is impossible these days to avoid discussions about climate change. Yet despite the ubiquitous nature of those discussions and the rhetorical skill of many participants, including US President Barack Obama, the policy language fails to connect with most voters. To understand this disconnect, consider the roots of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century.
June 15, 2009 : The Experts Disagree
By Robert Roach, published in the Edmonton Journal, June 15, Flin Flon Reminder, June 17, 2009.
If Canada is going to stay competitive in the global economy, it needs a plan that focuses limited public policy resources on a clear and finite set of goals.  The private sector will do the heavy lifting, but if government doesn’t have its act together, the chances of success are slim.
May 29, 2009 : Educational Attainment in Western Canada: Our workforce needs more diplomas and degrees
By Marlyn Chisholm, published in the Calgary Herald, May 29, 2009, Prince Rupert Daily News, May 29, Red Deer Advocate,  June 8.
Although educational attainment in western Canada has been rising in recent years, it still has a long way to go to catch up with other parts of Canada and some of our international competitors.  The share of the labour force aged 25-54 with post-secondary credentials (certificate, diploma or higher) was about 56% in Manitoba and Saskatchewan in 2007, compared with a national average of 65%.  This east-west gap creates real concerns for all Canadians.
May 18, 2009 : BC opts for continuity, not change
By Dr. Roger Gibbins, published in the Calgary Herald, May 18, 2009, Terrace Standard, May 19, Guelph Mercury, May 20, Waterloo Region Record, May 20, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, May 21, Prince Rupert Daily News, May 21, Okanagan Falls Review, May 22, Western Standard, May 31.
Provincial elections are usually of great interest to provincial residents, but of more limited interest to those living elsewhere.  However, Tuesday’s election in British Columbia is of wider interest for the light it sheds on the broader political scene in Canada.  Voters and politicians across the country should take note.

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