Centenary of Canada's Momentous 1911 Election

We invite you to join us at the Rideau Club on the centenary of a momentous election: 1911, the election that ended Sir Wilfrid Laurier's long reign, defeated free trade and marked a major break in military policy. On the evening of September 21^st you will have the opportunity to hear from the authors of a new book about this turning point in Canadian history, and will hear from noted commentators Derek Burney and Jack Granatstein about the legacy of 1911 in modern Canada. For more information and to register for the event (no charge but pre-registration is strongly recommended), click here. 

In the latest issue of Vanguard Magazine, MLI Managing Director Brian Lee Crowley discusses the importance of rethinking the Canada-U.S. border. Crowley says, "The time has come to create a joint committee of Congress and Parliament charged with the oversight of the Canada-U.S. relationship, holding hearings, issuing reports, and taking their newly acquired knowledge and relationships back to their respective bodies." Read the entire article here.

History Wars is a series of four provocative debates exploring some of the most compelling subjects in Canadian history. Well-known historians and personalities debate topics ranging from Pierre Trudeau to Canada's role in international peace keeping. A moderator leads the discussion and audience members are invited to pose questions during a Q & A session at the end of the evening. The first debate takes place on September 27^th at 6:30pm at the Canadian Museum of Civilization Theatre. David Frum and Lawrence Martin will debate on the topic of Pierre Trudeau: Canada's Most Disastrous Prime Minister and the debate will be moderated by Michael Bliss. Click here for more information and to register to attend an individual debate ($30 per debate) or the entire series ($100 for the series).

In an August 1^st op-ed in the National Post, MLI author Scott Newark examined the "crime is down" message in the recently released StatsCan report on 2010 crime data. In the article, he wrote, "The annual police-reported crime statistics could be an unparalleled source of relevant information for policy enhancement that increase public safety," but unfortunately it leaves more questions than answers. He outlined a number of improvements as well as areas that require further information. At the same time he acknowledged that StatsCan had responded to some of his criticisms of their crime reporting, and more progress is expected. The article was republished in a number of newspapers and Newark continued the discussion in an August 15^th article in the Hill Times. Click here to read the MLI's True North paper written by Scott Newark last February. 

On August 10^th to 11^th, MLI Managing Director Brian Lee Crowley was honoured to be invited to chair the off-the-record policy retreat discussions for Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in Wakefield, Quebec. The Finance Minister's Summer Retreat was an innovation in economic consultation designed by Brian when he was the Clifford Clark Visiting Economist at Finance Canada. He also chaired the first two such retreats. This year's annual retreat invited 22 leaders from business, NGOs and academia to discuss a host of economic issues facing Canada such as how we can best compete in the uncertain global economic environment and how to build a firm foundation for long-term prosperity. In 1994 Brian undertook a similar job for then Finance Minister Paul Martin when he designed and hosted the first ever televised public pre-budget consultation.

In an August 19^th Globe and Mail article, Brian was asked to comment on Minister Flaherty's fiscal plan after growing fears of recession in the U.S. and Europe rocked markets.  

In his July 30^th column for the Ottawa Citizen, MLI's Brian Crowley examined the claims made by Premier Dalton McGuinty that the oilpatch is subsidized by Ottawa; that his green energy initiatives are somehow equivalent to the oil industry; and that his energy efforts should be subsidized to the same extent. Crowley said, "Ottawa should ignore the premier's pleas. As we know from long experience in other parts of the country, such transfers only relieve the recipients of the need to put their own house in order."