For Immediate Release | May 21, 2013
New report: Alberta’s whistleblower legislation ineffective:
Fails to protect whistleblowers and does not ensure allegations will be investigated
A new report released this morning by the Parkland Institute finds that Alberta’s new whistleblower legislation will be ineffective in terms of protecting those who blow the whistle on incompetence or corruption, and will not ensure that allegations are properly investigated.
Download the statement
Related research:
Shooting The Messenger: The Need for Effective Whistleblower Protection in Alberta
Op-eds | May 16, 2013
Warnings from what Albertans think
As Albertans watch the Stanley Cup playoffs with their own two hockey teams once again on the outside, a recent report published by Parkland Institute shows similar shared grief and angst over the state of politics in the province. The report, which I co-authored, uses data from an extensive survey of Albertans conducted by the Population Research Laboratory at the University of Alberta in June 2012 to examine attitudes toward governance and how to possibly improve the processes of political decision-making.
Related research:
Governing Alberta: Citizens' Views
Links to Media:
For Immediate Release | May 09, 2013
New report looks at Albertans’ views on governance:
Strong support for election spending limits and the role of protest groups
A new report released this morning by the Parkland Institute finds that Albertans strongly favour setting election spending limits in Alberta and recognize the important role that protest groups play in a democracy.
Download the statement
Related research:
Governing Alberta: Citizens' Views
For Immediate Release | April 17, 2013
Taking the Reins:
New report says public interest best served by slowing down bitumen production
A new report released this morning by the U of A’s Parkland Institute says another out-of-control bitumen boom would not be in the best interests of Albertans, and that the Alberta government should take action today to bring the pace of development under control.
Download the statement
Related research:
Taking the Reins: The Case for Slowing Alberta's Bitumen Production
Op-eds | April 07, 2013
Pipelines won’t solve our problems:
Focus remains on exporting oil rather than our energy security
For years I was a voice in the wilderness calling for an oil pipeline to bring western oil to Eastern Canada. Now that TransCanada and Enbridge each have plans to build one, I should be pleased. But I’m not.
Canada is in the absurd position of promising the U.S. oil security through the export of oil from Alberta, while Canada itself is the most oil insecure country in the global North.
Links to Media:
Op-eds | April 02, 2013
Ralph’s mighty machine enfeebled
It is ironic that, at a time when many Albertans are mourning the death of Ralph Klein under whom Alberta’s Tories won some of their greatest victories, some political observers are wondering whether the party and government have run out of steam.
Links to Media:
Op-eds | March 21, 2013
Alberta’s ‘Back to the Future’ Budget
In budget 2013, Alison Redford’s Progressive Conservatives promised once-in-
a-generation change. People across Alberta and Canada watched with interest,
anticipating that this might at last be the moment when an Alberta premier finally
moved to right the serious problem with the province’s fiscal situation. Over-
reliance on volatile and unsustainable natural resource revenues have long left
Albertans vulnerable to fluctuations in international markets, with the province’s
programs and infrastructure suffering in times of low prices for Alberta oil, gas, and
bitumen. The optimistic among us thought that, with depressed prices for Alberta
bitumen currently throwing the matter into stark relief and with public and expert
opinion lining up strongly in favour of meaningful revenue reform, surely this was
the time to set Alberta on a path toward long-term financial stability.
Links to Media:
Op-eds | March 01, 2013
Fairness is found in equality, progressive taxation
In response to analysis by the Parkland Institute and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives of new Statistics Canada data, the Calgary Herald published an editorial that was misleading and misguided. The data revealed some startling facts: virtually all of the wealth created in Alberta over the last three decades went to the top income bracket.
Links to Media:
For Immediate Release | February 28, 2013
A majority of Albertans support a return to progressive taxation:
New report shows that fair and progressive taxes could solve Alberta’s fiscal woes
A new report released this morning by the U of A’s Parkland Institute says that the solution to Alberta’s current fiscal woes, and to growing inequality in the province, lies in an increase in corporate taxes and a return to a progressive tax system—a move that a majority of Albertans would support.
Download the statement
Related research:
Stabilizing Alberta’s revenues: A common sense approach
Op-eds | February 22, 2013
Alberta has a new export: the petroleum trap
Recent statements by federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty that the government’s budget plans have been thrown into disarray by a decline in Alberta’s oil revenues should come as no surprise. The differential between the North American benchmark price for crude and the price Alberta gets for its thicker brand of oil has been played up in recent months by the provincial Progressive Conservative government as a major cause of its fiscal woes. Now its federal counterpart is using the same argument to explain its declining revenues.
Links to Media:
For Immediate Release | February 19, 2013
Contracting out maintenance of infrastructure has reduced transparency and put tax dollars at risk
A new report released this morning by the U of A’s Parkland Institute says that Alberta’s contracting out of infrastructure maintenance to private firms has resulted in decreased transparency and accountability, and has put Alberta taxpayer dollars at risk.
Download the statement
Related research:
Delivery Matters: Public Infrastructure, Privatized Maintenance, and Government Transparency
Op-eds | January 29, 2013
Beyond the headlines:
What the Fraser Institute report really says about public sector compensation
The Fraser Institute this past week released a study comparing public and private sector compensation (wages and non-wage benefits) in Alberta. Release of the report is clearly meant to influence public debate about the province’s deficit leading up to the March budget.
Links to Media:
For Immediate Release | January 28, 2013
Alberta is Canada’s most unequal province:
and Calgary the most unequal city
Analysis by the Parkland Institute and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives of new data on Canada’s richest 1% shows that Alberta has become the country’s most unequal province and Calgary its most unequal city. The new data shows that incomes (adjusted for inflation) for the top 1% of Albertan doubled between 1982 and 2010, posting a shocking increase of $320,000. By comparison, the bottom 90% of Albertans saw their incomes increase by a total of only $3,900 over the same time period.
Op-eds | December 04, 2012
The trouble with money:
Katz campaign contributions only scratch the surface
Many Albertans are deservedly upset and angered by recent news that billionaire Daryl Katz, his family and his company executives, contributed a total of $300,000 to the PCs during the recent provincial election. The amount represents fully 20 per cent of the total amount of the $1.5 million in contributions raised by the PCs during whole campaign. Sources suggest the actual amount of contributions may be $430,000.
Links to Media:
For Immediate Release | November 01, 2012
Alberta has the richest rich and the poorest poor in Canada:
New report highlights dangers and causes of rapidly growing disparity in the province
A new report released this morning by the U of A’s Parkland Institute and the Alberta College of Social Workers says that despite Alberta’s obvious wealth, inequality and disparity in the province are growing faster than almost anywhere else in the country.
Download the statement
Related research:
A social policy framework for Alberta: Fairness and justice for all
Subscribe
Work in the media? Get Parkland Media Releases and related advisories through our RSS feed.
View by category
Releases and op-eds by topic
boom-and-bust cycle Canada corporations democracy economics education energy policy environment healthcare inequality neoliberalism oil royalties Parkland Institute privatization Ralph Klein royalties service cuts tarsands taxes wages
Releases and op-eds by date
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- February 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- September 2010
- June 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- June 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- January 2009
- October 2008
- September 2008
- Complete Archives