Thursday January 29, 2009 from
12:00 - 1:00 pm in Harbour Centre Room 3000
Title:
" Drivers of Regulatory Reform in Canada" with
Michael Presley
Summary: Michael Presley, Executive Director of the Regulatory Affairs Sector of the Treasury Board in Ottawa, will make the case that research and public policy can inform one another through processes of risk analysis, good management and expert assessment.
Thursday November 27, 2008 Doug Horswill spoke to:"Business-Government Nexus on Sustainability-Related Issues "Doug Horswill will address a range of issues faced by Teck Corporation in its relations with the larger BC community: carbon emissions, conservation, Aboriginal treaty entitlements, and the business investment climate. Doug Horswill, Senior Vice-President Teck Corporation, responsible for sustainability and external affairs. He is a former Deputy Minister of Finance in the BC government, where he also held other senior positions. He is a member of the Public Policy Program advisory committee.
Thursday November 13, 2008 Bill Robson spoke to:"Quality in Canada's Schools: Whose Job is it? "The quality of Canadian K-12 education is somewhat better than the OECD average, but quality is highly variable across provinces and across particular school districts within provinces. Reformers are debating the relative role of parents, teachers, school administrators, and governments. Bill Robson, president of the C.D. Howe Institute, has participated in these debates, both as researcher and as senior analyst at the Institute responsible for publishing numerous studies on education policy.
Thursday October 30, 2008 Kathryn Harrison spoke to:"The Politics of Climate Policy "Kathy Harrison teaches in the UBC Political Science Department and has specialized in studies of environmental politics. She is currently editing a book entitled Global Commons and National Interests: The Comparative Politics of Climate Change." She will provide a comparative analysis of how political institutions and domestic politics influence different countries' willingness to enter into international agreements and to adopt domestic climate change abatement policies.
Thursday October 9, 2008 Gordon Price spoke to:"The Road Taken: Transportation Policy in Post-War Vancouver "Gordon reviewed the history of regional transportation policy over the last half century, and gave his strategic priorities for the next half-century. Gordon is Director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University. He also writes, teaches and consults on urban development and planning. He served six terms as Councillor for the City of Vancouver, from 1986 to 2002, as well as on the board of the Greater Vancouver Regional District and Translink.
Thursday September 18, 2008 Nancy Norris, Rose Murphy and John Richards spoke to:"Can Anyone Stop the Load Shedding? Reforming Developing Country Power Systems: Bangladesh - A Case Study""Load shedding" (reducing demand to the capacity available by cutting power to entire regions of the country for several hours/days) is a common feature in most countries of Asia and Africa. A lack of reliable power is a major impediment to development.
Nancy Norris, a recent graduate of the SFU Public Policy Program, researched corruption in the Bangladesh power sector for her Masters project. In conjunction with B.D. Rahmatullah, a senior engineer in Bangladesh, and John Richards, she has prepared a major report on power sector reform. The report was recently released in Dhaka. Rose Murphy, currently preparing a Ph.D. in the REM program, prepared an earlier report on the Bangladesh power sector. Both reports are available on line at http://www.iubat.edu/cpr
Thursday April 3, 2008 Derek Hum spoke to:"Work, Poverty and a Guranteed Income for Canadians "For decades the notion of a guaranteed annual income to combat poverty has been raised in Canadian social policy debates. Senator Hugh Segal recently asked the Senate committee on social affairs to look at how a guaranteed annual income program could work in Canada, and the committee has agreed. This talk will review a range of issues about a guaranteed income, its administrative operation, its behavioural effects, and how delivery method affects program costs. The presentation will draw on findings from an experimental test of a guaranteed income in Canada in the 1970s. Derek Hum is professor of economics, University of Manitoba. He is a graduate of Mount Allison University, Oxford University, and University of Toronto and a former Rhodes Scholar. He has extensive experience in policy research, program evaluation, and quantitative methods. He is a specialist in social policy, particularly income maintenance programs and tax-transfer issues. He was formerly Research Director of a large-scale experimental test of guaranteed income in Canada. He has published widely in economics, sociology, and public policy, including seven books and more than 100 articles. Dr. Hum has won many academic awards, including the Rh Institute Award in 1986 for "Outstanding Contributions to Scholarship and Research in Social Sciences", and "best article awards" in 1998 (Canadian Public Policy) and 1999 (Canadian Journal of Higher Education).
Thursday March
13, 2008 Daphne Bramham spoke
to:"Competing
Charter Values: The Law and Polygamy"Polygamy is illegal in Canada.
Yet the B.C. government has done nothing to enforce
the law with regard to the community of Bountiful, where
fundamentalist Mormons have practised polygamy for more
than 60 years and regarded wives and children as chattels.
In the past, the government's concern about how to deal
with Bountiful centred on the constitutional guarantees
of religious freedom. But what if religious freedom
conflicts with equality rights? What then? Daphne Bramham
has been a columnist for The Vancouver Sun since 2000.
She won the National Newspaper Award for her columns
in 2004, a Jack Webster Award as the top commentator
in British Columbia for 2004-05. She has honoured for
her continuing series on the fundamentalist Mormons
by the non-profit group, Beyond Borders in 2004. And
this week, her book on the polygamous group titled "The
Secret Lives of Saints" was released by Random
House. Prior to writing a column, Bramham was the Sun's
associate editor and a reporter covering the Asia-Pacific, economics
and politics. Born in Saskatchewan, Bramham graduated
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and German
literature from the University of Regina. She holds
a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism from Ryerson
University in Toronto and a Master of Arts degree in
liberal studies from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C.
Thursday March
13, 2008 John Helliwell spoke
to:"Life
Satisfaction and Quality of Development"Conventional development
policy focuses on the quantity aspect of development:
the increase in market output of goods and services
per capita. This approach ignores the quality aspect
of development: factors such as norms, networks, and
relationships that -- in addition to material goods
-- determine the quality of life. This research probes
the measures of life satisfaction across countries to
better understand these factors and thereby influence
our thinking about appropriate development policies.
John Helliwell is a professor
emeritus of economics at the University of British Columbia.
He is the Arthur J.E. Child Foundation Fellow of the
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and Co-director
of the CIFAR Program on 'Social Interactions, Identity
and Well-Being'. Helliwell is also on the International
Advisory Board, Centre for International Governance
Innovation; a member of the National Statistics Council;
a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic
Research; and a past president of the Canadian Economics
Association. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the Royal
Society of Canada and an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Thursday February
28, 2008 Calvin Helin spoke
to:"Hope
Through Action"Calvin
Helin is a member of the Tsimshian Nation from the northern
BC community of Lax Kwalaams (Port Simpson). He is a
practicing lawyer, President of the Native Investment
and Trade Association, and former Vice President of
the National Aboriginal Business Association. Mr. Helin
was chosen as one of the top 40 Under 40 entrepreneurs
in BC by the paper Business in Vancouver and for the
Top 40 Under 40 national award sponsored by The Financial
Post Magazine and major Canadian corporations. He has
led international trade missions to China and New Zealand.
He has written publications relating to law, Aboriginal
business, and related issues. He is also an instructor
of Goju-Ryu karate. Mr. Helin is author of the acclaimed
book, "Dances with Dependency: Indigenous Success
through Self-Reliance"; copies are available for
purchase from the SFU Harbour Centre Bookstore.
Thursday February
7, 2008 Tom McCarthy spoke
to:"Tsawwassen
First Nation: Treaty Implementation and the Road Ahead"On December 6th, 2007, after
14 years of treaty negotiations, Tsawwassen First Nation
signed a comprehensive land and self-government agreement
-a treaty - with Canada and British Columbia. As the
first treaty to be signed under the BC Treaty Process,
and the first urban treaty in BC, it is a landmark accomplishment.
But the signing of the treaty marks only the very beginning
of the work required to realize the full range of benefits
the agreement provides for. This talk will provide an
overview of the TFN treaty, but will focus on the work
ahead for TFN as it prepares to transition to self government
and land ownership. It will also argue that, in this
particular circumstance, self-government is essential
to economic and social integration, and not opposed
to it. While some have argued that self-government and
the settlement of FN land claims inhibits economic growth
by erecting disincentives to labour mobility and education,
this talk will argue that, in TFN's situation, the treaty
provides the tools to achieve substantive economic and
social equality. Tom McCarthy
is a 2005 graduate of the Masters of Public Policy Program
at Simon Fraser University. During his time at SFU,
he worked for Tsawwassen First Nation to support the
fiscal financing treaty negotiations. He then moved
to Ottawa to participate in the federal government's
Accelerated Economist Training Program, gaining experience
at Treasury Board, Department of Finance, Privy Council
Office, and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.
Tom returned to Vancouver in September to assist Tsawwassen
First Nation with treaty implementation.
Thursday January 24,
2008 Doug McArthur spoke
to:"Political
Problems in Pakistan Escalate".
Following the murder of Benazir
Bhutto, Pakistan has become a front page story in the
Canadian media. Speculation is rife about who killed
her and why. It is impossible to make sense of her murder
without an understanding of the political situation
in Pakistan today. Political life is dominated by the
army and the intelligence services under General Pervez
Musharaff. A culture of violence and repression has
replaced the give and take of political conflict that
we consider normal. Political gatherings by democratic
parties are attacked by police and militias, political
arrests and disappearances are widespread, and the rule
of law has all but disappeared. Why has Pakistan, a
nuclear power and the central base of operation of the
Taleban and el Queda, with formal political institutions
not unlike Canada, descended into political chaos? Can
the situation be rescued? What does the future hold,
and what are the implications for world stability and
security? These are some of the questions that were
examined. Doug McArthur is
Professor of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University.
He has worked in Afghanistan and Pakistan and written
about both countries.
Thursday January 10,
2008 Tamara Vrooman spoke
to:"Reflections
on Leadership in the Public Service".
Born in Victoria, raised in
Kamloops and educated at the University of Victoria,
Ms. Vrooman is a British Columbia homegrown success
story. She’s had what can be described as a meteoric
rise through the Government of BC’s public service,
becoming the province’s youngest deputy minister,
with two such positions—Health and Finance—tucked
under her belt by the time she reached her mid-30s.
She is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee
Medal for outstanding public service. Tamara has been
widely recognized for her achievements and contribution,
both in BC, with the Association of Women Finance 2007
Knowledge and Leadership PEAK Award, and nationally,
as one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40”
which recognizes individuals for their vision, leadership,
innovation, achievement, impact and community contribution.
Ms. Vrooman began a new role as Chief Executive Officer
of Vancity Credit Union in September. Ms. Vrooman will
share her reflections of her career in the public service
and speak about her transition to the corporate world.
Thursday November 29,
2007 Monica Gattinger spoke
to: "Towards an Analytical Framework of Canada-United
States Policy Relations". Canada and the United
States maintain an extensive web of policy relations
across a broad range of sectors. While formal bilateral
meetings between political leaders constitute the public
face of these relationships, in the main, these relations
are managed in trans-governmental forums and networks
of Canadian and American officials interacting with
their counterparts outside of formal diplomatic channels.
While scholars and practitioners recognize the substantial
growth in trans-governmental activity over the last
number of decades, there has been relatively little
systematic theoretical or empirical research examining
the structures, instruments, mechanisms and processes
of bilateral policy relations, as well as their degree
of openness, inclusiveness, accountability and effectiveness.
Drawing on the literatures on multilevel governance,
trans-governmental relations, and inter-organizational
coordination, this presentation will develop an analytical
framework to map the organizational underpinnings of
Canada-US policy relations and will explore its potential
utility in the energy and cultural sectors. This research
forms part of a three-year SSHRC-funded study examining
the democratic legitimacy of Canada-US policy relations
(principal investigator: Monica Gattinger, co-investigator:
Luc Julliet, collaborator: Claire Turenne-Sjolander).
Monica Gattinger is an Associate Professor
in the School of Political Studies at the University
of Ottawa. During Fall 2007, she is a visiting professor
in the Master of Public Policy Program.
Thursday November 22,
2007 Kennedy Stewart hosted
a Brown Bag Seminar Screening of: "Errol
Morris's Oscar Winning Documentary The Fog of War".
The film explores the policies and policy making practices
of former US Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara,
one of the most controversial and influential figures
in world politics.
Thursday November 8,
2007 Dr. Maryam Golnaraghi
spoke to : "International
Developments in Disaster Risk Management: From Policy
to Action". Dr. Golnaraghi is
head of the Disaster Risk Reduction Programme of the
World Meteorological Organization. She intends (in her
words) "to provide a comprehensive overview of
the developments, challenges and opportunities in the
field of disaster risk management." Dr. Golnaraghi
has developed WMO strategic goals and operating plan
in disaster risk reduction, with particular focus on
Early Warning Systems, risk assessment for sectoral
planning and linkages to climate adaptation, and is
overseeing its implementation. Dr. Golnaraghi holds
a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University;
a Masters of Science in Applied Physics, and a Ph.D.
in Physical Oceanography from Harvard University.
Tuesday November 6,
2007 Adrian Walraven, Waheed
Samin and David Fairchild spoke to : "Canada's
current development activities in Afghanistan, in Kandahar
in particular". Adrian Walraven is a development
officer currently working with CIDA's Kandahar Unit.
Waheed Samim, who is from Kandahar and has lived in
Afghanistan under the Taliban, is CIDA's local expert
on humanitarian assistance and health/education projects.
David Fairchild of the Department of Foreign Affairs,
has worked with the provincial reconstruction team in
Kandahar.
Thursday October 11,
2007 Adrienne Carr spoke
to : "Averting Climate Catastophe:
Perspectives on Canada's low carbon future"
The talk critiqued the federal government's climate
change plan while assessing the policy gaps in the plan
and suggesting alternatives.
Adrienne Carr is the former leader of the BC Green Party
and current deputy leader of the Green Party of Canada.
Thursday September
27, 2007 Dominic Cardy spoke
to : "Maoists and Monarchists: The
Strange Case of Nepali Politics"
The talk addressed recent developments in Nepal,
prospects for the future, with a focus on the role of
international development assistance - especially in
relation to the peace process and governance. For background,
it would be useful to read "Nepal's Kerensky Interlude"
available on line at http://www.inroadsjournal.ca (issue
20).
Dominic Cardy is Nepal country director for the National
Democratic Institute. The NDI is an American-based NGO
with offices in 70 countries. Its mandate is to expand
and strengthen democracy and democratic institutions.
His specialty is political party reform and election
processes.
Thursday September
13, 2007 Loek Hesemans spoke
to : "The royal mode of urban transport:
Cycling in the Pacific North West and the Netherlands"
The talk addressed the idea that cycling is interwoven
in Dutch culture – even the royal family rides
bikes. The Dutch are almost complacent about it, and
rarely think about the advantages of cycling as mode
of transport. In the Pacific North West, cycling is
definitely on the rise, both as a form of recreation
or sport and as a serious mode of transportation, but
it remains a marginal mode. Maybe Dutch experience can
help accelerate its growth.
Thursday March
29th, 2007 Bob Rae spoke
to :"Where to for the Liberal Party of Canada?"
The talk addressed the current political challenges
facing the Liberal Party of Canada and the future direction
of the party. Bob Rae served as Ontario's 21st Premier,
and was elected eight times to federal and provincial
parliaments.
Thursday March
22nd, 2007 Jon Kesselman spoke
to :"Taxing Couples: Is Income Splitting Fair?"
The talk assessed the equity of income splitting for
both pensioners and working-age couples.
Thursday March
15th, 2007 John Whyte spoke
to the Limits of Minority Accommodation: Sharia and
Cree Courts. John Whyte, the former Deputy Minister
to the Saskatchewan Attorney General and former Dean
of Queens University law faculty, is currently a visiting
professor at UBC law faculty. He has long been engaged
in the delicate problems of how - and whether - to adapt
legal institutions to the problems faced by marginalized
minorities.
Thursday March
1st, 2007 Daphne Bramham
spoke to "When Does Religious Freedom Become Child
Abuse? Radical Mormon Sects in the Western US and British
Columbia" Daphne Bramham is a senior Vancouver
Sun columnist, National Newspaper Award winner and member
of the MPP advisory council. She has written extensively
on the ethical and legal issues surrounding the Mormon
sect in Bountiful B.C., and is currently writing a book
on the subject. An introduction to her writing is available
at: http://www.inroadsjournal.ca/archives/inroads17/toc17.htm
Thursday February 15,
2007 Nesreen Barwari
spoke to Iraq: Power
Sharing, The Challenge of Constructing a Stable Iraq.
Discussed were current political processes, reconstruction
challenges, public order and rule of law in Iraq. Ms.
Barwari undertook her undergraduate studies at Baghdad
University, and has pursued further studies at Harvard
University's Kennedy School of Government. She is currently
pursuing doctoral studies at UBC. Following the April
2003 fall of the regime of Saddam Hussein, she served
in three interim national governments in Baghdad as
Minister of Municipalities & Public Works.
Thursday January
18, 2007 Benoit LaPlante
spoke to A comparative
anaylsis of the impacts of sea-level rise in developing
countries. As noted by the International
Panel on Climate Change, climate change may result in
a large number of (mostly negative) effects including
a greater frequency of heat waves, an increased intensity
of storms, floods and droughts, and a more rapid spread
of disease, species extinction and loss of biodiversity.
These effects also include rising sea levels. Various
models are currently suggesting an increase of the global-mean
sea level ranging between 9 and 88 centimeters in the
course of the 21st century. While there remains considerable
uncertainty as to the precise nature of the above scenarios
and the time horizon over which they may unfold, recent
research suggests that the IPCC projections may be significantly
conservative. Indeed, new measurement information on
the rates of deglaciation in Greenland and the West
Antarctic suggests that the contribution of these two
ice sheets is significantly higher than previously known.
No study has thus far attempted to assess systematically
the impacts of sea-level rise for developing countries
of the world using a homogeneous set of indicators,
and for a multiplicity of sea-level rise scenarios.
For the purpose of this study, 84 developing countries
of the world (with coast lines) were grouped into 5
regions (corresponding to the 5 regional departments
of the World Bank): Latin America and Caribbean Region
(25 countries); Middle East and North Africa Region
(13 countries); Sub-Saharan Africa (29 countries); East
Asia (13 countries); and South Asia (4 countries). For
each of these countries and regions, the study assesses
the impact of sea-level rise using the following 6 indicators:
land, population, gross domestic product (GDP), urban
extent, agricultural extent, and wetlands. Finally,
these impacts are calculated for sea-level rise scenarios
ranging from 1 to 5 meters. Despite the expected significant
consequences of sea-level rise particularly in South
East Asia, few countries have undertaken the design
of national adaptation strategies aimed at minimizing
the economic losses associated with a rising sea. The
study concludes that while efforts to reduce greenhouse
gases may be called for, such efforts should not be
undertaken at the expense of designing and implementing
effective adaptation strategies.
Thursday November 30, 2006 Marvin Shaffer
spoke to The impacts and costs of selling low and buying
high which critiqued
BC Hydro's 2006 Integrated Electricity Plan (IEP) and
Power Purchase Contracts. The IEP presents BC Hydro's
demand and supply-side strategies for meeting its growing
electricity requirements. The critique addressed the
limitations of BC Hydro's conservation programs and
strategies, as well as the excessive costs and foregone
option value in its most recent planned purchases of
power.
Thursday October 12, 2006 Dane Berry, MPP '07,
spoke about his co-op experience working with a democracy
building INGO in Nepal. Brief background information
on the political situation will be provided, including
the events leading up to the massive country-wide protests
last spring and the dramatic abdication of the King
and reinstatement of the democratically elected parliament.
Following this there was a general discussion of the
current barriers to democratic reform in Nepal, how
both domestic and international actors are seeking to
address these barriers, and how these problems relate
to a selection of other public policy issues in the
country, particularly forest management and energy policy.
Tuesday September 19, 2006 David Hay spoke to Building Blocks
for Strong Communities: Results of a Study of Small
and Medium-Sized Organizations in Canada.
David I. Hay, PhD, has been the Director of the Family
Network for Canadian Policy Research Networks since
July 2004. David was CPRN's Project Director for the
Imagine Canada/CPRN comparative research project on
small and medium-sized private enterprises and non-profit
community organizations, Building Blocks for Strong
Communities.
Thursday, March 30, 2006 Benoit Laplante spoke to Industrial
Pollution in Viet Nam: Who? What? Where? What to do?.
Benoit serves as a Resource Person for the Economy and
Environment Program for South-East Asia (EEPSEA), providing
guidance to researchers throughout the region, and has
conducted numerous training courses on specific topics
in environmental economics and cost-benefit analysis.
He regularly works to support the environmental economics
activities of bilaterals (including CIDA, DANIDA, the
European Union, and USAID), and multilateral institutions
(including the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations
Development Program, and the World Bank).
Thursday, March 9, 2006
Paul M. Evans, CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation
of Canada,spoke to "Canada's
Pacific Gateway Strategy: How Big, How Quick, How National?".
Thursday, February 23, 2006 Sheila Fruman spoke to "Building
Decmocracy: The Afghanistan Election".
Thursday, February 9, 2006
Marvin Shaffer spoke to "Assessing Value
for Money in P3s - Transparency and the Discount Rate".
The seminar reviewed Partnership
BC's recent value for money assessment of the Sea-to-Sky
project. It specifically addressed the theoretical basis
and practical implications of Partnership BC's assumption
that the cost of government borrowing is the same as
the weighted average cost of capital that the private
consortium will incoporate into the annual lease fee
that it will charge the government for the use of the
highway. An alternative approach was presented to reflect
more transparently the extra expected costs of the P3,
and the critical value of the risk transfer-- what the
risk transfer would have to be worth to justified the
private financing of the highway.
Friday, January 27, 2006 Jean-Pierre Kingsley, Canada's Chief Electoral
Officer, spoke to Addressing Declining Voter
Participation: Elections Canada's Research and Outreach
Initiatives.
Thursday, January 26, 2006 MPP Students: Karen Graham, Matthew Zipchen,
Rick Santos, Stewart Young and Greg Kolesniak
spoke to "The Cost of Land Shaping-- A Multiple
Account Evaluation of the Northeast LRT Project".
In 2003, a Multiple Account Evaluation was conducted
for TransLink of various rapid transit options from
Lougheed Mall to Coquitlam Centre. The speakers will
present an alternate evaluation that points to a very
different outcome.
Thursday, January 12, 2006 Nancy Olewiler, Public Policy Program
Director, spoke to "Sustainable Tourism
Development in Angkor Watt, Cambodia?" Can
a developing country recovering from years of war develop
its world heritage temples at Angkor Wat while meeting
objectives of social, environmental, and economic sustainability?
A short and very preliminary tour of the current development
plans and management/political policies for Angkor Wat
will be reviewed and assessed.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Bill Warburton, Executive Director of the Child
and Youth Development Trajectory Research Unit at UBC
spoke to using administrative data
to investigate the effects of principals, peers and
neighbourhoods on students academic performance.
Thursday, November 3, 2005
Mark Weintraub, chair of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific
Region, is a Vancouver lawyer & longtime community
activist spoke to "Using Faith Based
Law in Canada ".
Thursday, October 13, 2005 Janice Abbott, Executive Director/CEO of Atira
Women’s Resource Society presented: Working
to Self Finance Social Initiatives for the Vulnerable:
The Atira Experience.
Monday, October 3 2005
Peter May, Center for American Politics and Public Policy
spoke to Thinking About Policy Coherence.
Thursday, September 29, 2005 Jack Knetsch, SFU Emeritus Professor will
present: Behavioural Economics and Policy Choices. Some
findings from the relatively new field of behavioural
economics suggest that people's choices and valuations
are sometimes consistently inconsistent with standard
assumptions used in many economic and policy analyses.
In some cases of benefit-cost analyses, damage assessments,
feasibility studies, etc., use of standard methods etc.
can lead to biased and misleading guidance. Examples
will be discussed, along with some newer findings and
speculations concerning discount rates (they seem to
be larger for future gains than future losses) and the
appropriate choice of valuation measure (the one we
usually use may often be wrong).
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Sandra Nikolic and Margo Pearce, both MPP students
in their 2nd year of the program will speak to their
summer co-op experience in Bangladesh where they researched
issues such as electoral reform, public education and
HIV/AIDS.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Jane Friesen, SFU Economics Professor spoke
to "Enclaves, Peer Effects and Student Learning
Outcomes in B.C." by discussing her research into
issues in education policy, investigating the ways in
which different ethnic, linguistic and socioeconomic
groups sort themselves within the education system,
and the effect that this sorting has on educational
achievement and inequality.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Joseph P. Roise presented BCTS Auction and
Bidding Behaviour: a presentation of analysis of timber
auction bidding behavior in B.C., including reservation
price effect, estimates of the probability of winning,
maximizing expected value of bidding for timber, and
the value of information and investment in bid preparation.
Friday, February 25,
2005
Bill Scarth, McMaster professor, will be presenting
his paper on Fiscal Policy and Growth.
Thursday, February
17, 2005
Gordon Gibson discussed the new system of proportional
representation proposed in the up-coming referendum
in B.C, on May 17.Gordon Gibson is
a columnist, author and fellow of the Fraser Institute.
Mr. Gibson was responsible for much of the background
work done to establish the Citizen's Assembly on Electoral
Reform in B.C.
Thursday, February
3, 2005
Lorne Mayencourt discussed his initiatives
from the past few years including initiating the Safe
Streets Act and Trespass Act and finding solutions to
the homeless and addiction problems in Vancouver's Downtown
Eastside. Currently, he is in the middle of a tour of
the province to discuss his proposed Safe Schools Act
with students, teachers, parents, school boards, and
the public.
Wednesday, January
19, 2005
Michael Wolfson, Assistant
Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada discussed new
statistical tools for life course analysis in Canada.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Doug McArthur, MPP Instructor, provided a review
and reflection on the situation in the Ukraine, the
December 26 election and possible future developments.
Doug McArthur was an international observer for the
26 election.
November 26th, 2004
Tom Courchene,Economics
Professor from Queens' University, spoke to Pan Canadian
Provincialism: The New Federalism and the New Constitution.
November 19th, 2004
Greg Marchildon spoke to the current state of federal-provincial
health care policy and on the controversial subject
of the appropriate division between public and private
for-profit financing of health care delivery.
November 5th, 2004
Dr. Robin Boadway, Associate Director of the
John Deutsch Institute for the Study of Economic Policy,
spoke to Equalization Transfers in Canada.
October 29, 2004
James Steidle, MPP
candidate -2003 cohort spoke to governance issues in
a developing mega-city based on his MPP co-op experience
in Bangladesh.
October 5, 2004
Jim Green, Vancouver
City Councillor spoke to Safe Injection Sites in Vancouver.
April 1, 2004
Don Cayodiscussed
ideas for CIDA based on his experiences in West Africa
and Haiti.
March 17, 2004
Carol LaPrairiespoke on crime in
Aboriginal communities.
March 11, 2004
Alan Durning, Northwest
Environment Watch, spoke on the Cascadia Scorecard for
2004.
March 4, 2004
Alex Berlandspoke
to administering health systems in British Columbia.
February 19, 2004
Phil Resnick discussed
Muslim immigrants in Europe: the Hijab Affair.
February 5, 2004
Tony Penikett, former
Yukon Premier, spoke to the importance of treaties in
reconcilling aboriginal and non-aboriginal expectations.
January 9, 2004
Marvin Shaffer spoke to the role and rationale
for multiple account as opposed to traditional cost-benefit
analysis.
November 18, 2003
Janice MacKinnon, former
Saskatchewan Minister of Finance, spoke to her book
"Minding the Public Purse".
November 7, 2003
Dr. John Richardsspoke
to his paper Gilded Cages and Trojan Horses: Taxes,
Transfers and Quality of Governance.
October 31, 2003
Dr. Nancy Olewiler, Director,
Public Policy Program spoke to Trade and the Environment.
October 24, 2003
Larry Blain, CEO,
Partnerships B.C., spoke to Public Private Partnerships.
October 17, 2003
Dr. Mike Howlett,
Simon Fraser University Political Science Dept, spoke
to his paper "Policy Instruments and Implementation
Styles".
October 10, 2003
Jake Kerr, CEO, Lignum
Ltd. spoke to the softwood lumber dispute.
October 3, 2003
Aidan Vining, Simon
Fraser University Faculty of Business, spoke to his
paper "Strategies for Education: What Works, What
Doesn't".
September 26, 2003
Bill Scarth, McMaster
University, spoke to his paper "Income Distribution
and Low-Skill Renumeration in an Age of Falling Trade
Barriers"
September 19, 2003
Gordon Gibson, Senior
Fellow, Fraser Institute, spoke to "Aspects of
and Prospects for Democratic Reform".
September 12, 2003
Dr. Paul Boothe,
University of Alberta, spoke to his paper "What
Happened to Health Reform?".
If you would like to give a talk
or be on an email list to receive notices of upcoming
seminars, contact us by email at:mpp@sfu.ca.
