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Ricardo Acuña
Ricardois the Executive Director of the Parkland Institute, Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta – a position he has held since May 2002. Previous to that he worked for nine years as Projects Coordinator for Change for Children Association, an Alberta-based international development organization working in Latin America. He has a degree in Political Science and History from the University of Alberta, and has over 20 years experience as a volunteer, staffer and consultant for various non-government and non-profit organizations around the province. Ricardois a regular speaker to students, teachers, and community groups around Alberta. He has spoken extensively and written on issues of water, NAFTA, commodification of the commons, and energy policy in Alberta. He is a regular media commentator on public policy issues, and writes a regular column for VueWeekly in Edmonton.
Media releases
June 01, 2011
Frontier Centre’s argument not based in fact
Changing water allocation system requires careful analysis of all alternatives
As Alberta’s population continues to increase, and the economy continues to grow, so too do concerns about the future availability of water, particularly in the semi-arid south. How the government deals with the critical issue of water allocation in the province will have significant consequences not only for the province’s population centres, but also for the province’s water-intensive agricultural industry, economic growth and the long-term sustainability of critical provincial eco-systems. read more »
February 25, 2011
Tories’ gross fiscal mismanagement sells Albertans short
Government focuses on spending without beefing up available revenues
On the same day that Alberta’s provincial budget was released to the public, oil briefly hit over $103 per barrel. Third-quarter results from the oil patch revealed a doubling or tripling of profits in that sector. And despite the economic downturn in 2009, that year was the second most profitable Alberta’s oilsands operators had ever seen. read more »
March 29, 2010
The perils of corporatized water
As the City of Winnipeg moves forward with its plan to corporatize Winnipeg’s water and waste department, city residents would do well to look at the experience in Edmonton since the amalgamation of that city’s water and electrical utilities under the corporate banner of Epcor back in the 1990s. read more »
February 11, 2010
“Robbing Peter to pay Paul”
Health funding hike comes at expense of other essential services
Although initial reaction to the provincial budget by pundits and media focused on the increase in spending overall and to health spending and infrastructure in particular, a deeper look at the numbers reveals the real price of those increases and raises serious concerns about long-term fiscal management in this province. In short, Budget 2010 is an exercise in robbing Peter to pay Paul. The increases to health care and infrastructure funding were financed by over $1.7 billion in cuts to other areas, and the elimination of at least 800 public service jobs. read more »
October 18, 2009
Stelmach’s ‘Way Forward’ will be more painful than even Klein’s cuts
Government that's truly interested in stimulating the economy and keeping Albertans working should be investing in public services
Beneath the pretty language and nice scenery of the premier’s address to the province on Wednesday evening, there were three clear messages to Albertans. read more »
Recent Parkland Post stories
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