Atlantic Institute for Policy Research Highlights
Economic policy commentary and research from the AIPR
Losing faith in our capacity for health reform
Herb Emery
Posted: February 18, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Health , Government
Well, my optimism for the New Brunswick economy may have hit a roadblock. I was heartened by the Premier’s state of the province speech and its focus on growing the economy, along with the "hardly negative at all" response from the Liberal Party leader. Under the Premier’s modest targets, by 2030 we would be looking at an extra $7 billion in GDP per year, a population size of 870,000 and if spending growth could be limited to its current rate of increase, annual budget surpluses...
Evidence-informed policy isn't that easy
Herb Emery
Posted: February 12, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Government , Social Policy
A version of this commentary appeared in the Telegraph Journal on Wednesday, February 12, 2020. It is reproduced here with permission from Brunswick News. Is public input displacing science? Next month, the Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship, an “all party” committee of the Legislative Assembly, will hold public hearings “seeking input on the use of pesticides, herbicides, including glyphosate, in the province”. The committee will make...
Evidence-informed policy is not that easy
Herb Emery
Posted: February 11, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Government , Social Policy
Is public input displacing science? Next month, the Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship, an “all party” committee of the Legislative Assembly, will hold public hearings “seeking input on the use of pesticides, herbicides, including glyphosate, in the province”. The committee will make non-binding recommendations “to inform lawmakers on how to regulate herbicide use”. When I lived in Calgary, political hearings like this...
Can Science Save New Brunswick?
Mara Mallory
Posted: February 7, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Social Policy , Government , News Releases
Two economists at the University of New Brunswick want New Brunswickers to start asking tougher questions about how and why policy decisions are made New Brunswick. Is New Brunswick making evidence-base policy? Or policy-based evidence? Dr. Herb Emery, the Vaughan Chair in Regional Economics and program director of the Atlantic Institute for Policy Research, and Dr. Ted McDonald, the founding director of the New Brunswick Institute for Data, Research and Training (NB-IRDT) are hosting a...
Is this NB's TSN Turning Point?
Herb Emery
Posted: February 7, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: JDI Roundtable , Manufacturing , Regional Economics , Government
A version of this opinion piece was published in the Telegraph Journal on February 5, 2019 Last Thursday’s State of the Province speech delivered by Premier Blaine Higgs has the potential to be an identifiable turning point for the province. It was more “call to action” than the ideological vision statements we’ve come to expect. The overarching theme of the speech was a stated commitment to growth led by the private sector. The tone was urgent and the listed goals are...
Dr. Emery on Rogers Voice of the Province
AIPR Staff
Posted: December 4, 2019 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Manufacturing , JDI Roundtable , Immigration , Government , Labour Markets , Taxation , Regional Economics
Dr. Herb Emery, Vaughan Chair in Regional Economics at the University of New Brunswick, was invited to Rogers Voice of the Province in October 2019 to talk about the New Brunswick's economy and how shifting manufacturing into higher gear could be a game changer.
Getting closer to market doesn't mean moving
Herb Emery
Posted: July 3, 2019 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Regional Economics , JDI Roundtable , Manufacturing , Government , Taxation
How can our export-based businesses grow? A common answer I’ve heard from New Brunswick’s export manufacturers is that they need to “get closer to the market”. Since New Brunswick isn’t a floating island that can be dragged closer to some other place, this seems impossible without setting up production closer to destination markets. In economics, transportation costs are “iceberg costs” – the further the goods travel, the more of the total value...
Announcing the JDI Roundtable
JDI Roundtable
Posted: June 21, 2019 12:00:00 PM ADT
Category: JDI Roundtable , Government , Manufacturing , Regional Economics
Manufacturing is one of New Brunswick’s most important economic sectors but little research has been done on the economic conditions that help or hinder them. The University of New Brunswick has a new program devoted to delivering timely and relevant research and advancing public understanding of the factors that impact manufacturing competitiveness in New Brunswick. The JDI Roundtable on Manufacturing Competitiveness in New Brunswick will be an integral, high-profile and ongoing...