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Issues & Experts Archive > Week of March 18 - 22/2002
Week of March 18 - 22/2002
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Mar 18, 2002
Alliance’s D-Day…The race is winding down and a new leader of the beleaguered Alliance Party will soon be known. SFU political scientist David Laycock thinks former leader Stockwell Day still has a good chance of winning, despite the evidence that an "anyone but Day" sentiment is strong among the other three candidates' supporters. Laycock expects a second ballot, "but if anyone wins on the first ballot, it will be Day." Would a Day victory be good for the Alliance party?
"I can't see how. Day has an irreparably tarnished image in the mainstream press, and has neither the policy knowledge nor the bridge-building skills (within the Alliance, or to the Tories) that the Alliance needs to appear a plausible alternative to the Liberals." Laycock, author of The New Right and Democracy in Canada: Understanding Reform and the Canadian Alliance (2001), says Day is also too closely identified with "special interests" on the religious Christian right in Canada to appeal to the broader cross-section of voters that the Alliance must attract, to achieve anything other than regional party status. "In fact, this connection of Day's will hurt his party in many of the urban areas of western Canada that Alliance members now represent".
David Laycock, 604.291.3089
Privatization sparks debate…A slow and cautious approach to deregulation and privatization of B.C. Hydro that many in B.C. advocate is " an exceptionally dangerous route to take," cautions SFU political economist Marjorie Griffin Cohen. That’s because as long as a government maintains a public monopoly, the international trade agreements can’t force the interests of private investors. "However, once the route toward deregulation begins, the rights of the private sector become very forceful," she says. "The danger for BC. is that the logic of the production of this system — to provide electricity for people in BC. — will be undercut by private interests in producing for export into a much more lucrative market." Griffin Cohen, who describes BC. Hydro as an exceptional, clean, efficient and low-cost system, adds this will increase electricity prices in BC. and undoubtedly lead to greater use of cheap, but dirtier fuels.
Marjorie Griffin Cohen, 604.291.5838
Forum tackles post September 11 …Six months after the US. terrorist attacks, SFU’s school of communication is bringing together religious and secular opinion leaders to examine the state of democracy in Canada. The forum, called Brave New Works of Peace: Canadian citizenship in the aftermath, will look at new ways of strengthening Canadian citizenship, addressing the health care crisis, and alleviating poverty. It will be held on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m., at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue."After September 11, the new reality is that we have to find better ways to be effective as citizens," says organizer and SFU doctoral student Michael Markwick. Participants will review a new SFU/Ipsos Reid poll on Canadians’ attitudes to democracy in Canada. They include Catholic Archbishop Adam Exner, Rabbi Hillel Goelman, Aziz Khaki, of the committee for racial justice, and representatives of the National Sikh Alliance, and the National Council for Welfare.
Martin Laba 604.291.3383/Michael Markwick 604.925.2864
The incredible story of Atlantic salmon…Cultured Atlantic salmon is the largest legal agricultural export crop produced in BC. John Volpe, a biologist from the University of Alberta, will look at the development of the industry and the issues facing Altantic salmon when he gives the next lecture in SFU’s Speaking of Science lecture series, on March 21 at 7 p.m. at Harbour Centre.
Laurie Wood, 604.291.5466
"I can't see how. Day has an irreparably tarnished image in the mainstream press, and has neither the policy knowledge nor the bridge-building skills (within the Alliance, or to the Tories) that the Alliance needs to appear a plausible alternative to the Liberals." Laycock, author of The New Right and Democracy in Canada: Understanding Reform and the Canadian Alliance (2001), says Day is also too closely identified with "special interests" on the religious Christian right in Canada to appeal to the broader cross-section of voters that the Alliance must attract, to achieve anything other than regional party status. "In fact, this connection of Day's will hurt his party in many of the urban areas of western Canada that Alliance members now represent".
David Laycock, 604.291.3089
Privatization sparks debate…A slow and cautious approach to deregulation and privatization of B.C. Hydro that many in B.C. advocate is " an exceptionally dangerous route to take," cautions SFU political economist Marjorie Griffin Cohen. That’s because as long as a government maintains a public monopoly, the international trade agreements can’t force the interests of private investors. "However, once the route toward deregulation begins, the rights of the private sector become very forceful," she says. "The danger for BC. is that the logic of the production of this system — to provide electricity for people in BC. — will be undercut by private interests in producing for export into a much more lucrative market." Griffin Cohen, who describes BC. Hydro as an exceptional, clean, efficient and low-cost system, adds this will increase electricity prices in BC. and undoubtedly lead to greater use of cheap, but dirtier fuels.
Marjorie Griffin Cohen, 604.291.5838
Forum tackles post September 11 …Six months after the US. terrorist attacks, SFU’s school of communication is bringing together religious and secular opinion leaders to examine the state of democracy in Canada. The forum, called Brave New Works of Peace: Canadian citizenship in the aftermath, will look at new ways of strengthening Canadian citizenship, addressing the health care crisis, and alleviating poverty. It will be held on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m., at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue."After September 11, the new reality is that we have to find better ways to be effective as citizens," says organizer and SFU doctoral student Michael Markwick. Participants will review a new SFU/Ipsos Reid poll on Canadians’ attitudes to democracy in Canada. They include Catholic Archbishop Adam Exner, Rabbi Hillel Goelman, Aziz Khaki, of the committee for racial justice, and representatives of the National Sikh Alliance, and the National Council for Welfare.
Martin Laba 604.291.3383/Michael Markwick 604.925.2864
The incredible story of Atlantic salmon…Cultured Atlantic salmon is the largest legal agricultural export crop produced in BC. John Volpe, a biologist from the University of Alberta, will look at the development of the industry and the issues facing Altantic salmon when he gives the next lecture in SFU’s Speaking of Science lecture series, on March 21 at 7 p.m. at Harbour Centre.
Laurie Wood, 604.291.5466