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 Mannkal's 2013/14 International Scholars

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Applications are now open for Mannkal's Domestic Scholarships

   Liberty and Society Weekend Conference: 8-10 May 2015

"Do you like to challenge yourself, question the way decisions are made and think seriously about the future of Australia and New Zealand?"  

If your answer is "yes" then the Centre for Independent Studies' Liberty and Society Conference is for you. For more details on the Conference, please click here.

   Australian Libertarian Society Friedman Conference: 2-3 May 2015
The 3rd ALS Friedman Conference will be held in Sydney from 2-3 of May 2015. Check out the Facebook event page here.
 

To apply, please send a copy of your CV, academic transcript and cover letter outlining your interest in attending, to Becky Vidler (scholars@mannkal.org).  

Scholar Blogs

BLOG OF THE WEEK - SAMUEL KITCHEN

Hello and bonjour! My name is Samuel, and I welcome you to Canada's capital; Ottawa. Over the next three months I am excited to be undertaking an internship at the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation's (CTF) federal offices. Such an opportunity is made entirely possible thanks to the generosity and commitment to the teaching of free markets by the Mannkal Economic Education Foundation.

Ottawa was made the capital of Canada in 1857, and records a metropolitan population of around one million people, making it the fourth largest city in Canada. The city is bilingual, and so I am putting to good use the three or four words I learned in primary school French.

I landed in Ottawa late on Sunday night, 30th November. The next morning, eager to immerse myself in a city I was yet to explore, I stepped foot into the foreign climate to meet my CTF hosts. The walk from my apartment to the CTF offices took 20 minutes on my first day and I was relieved to see so many coffee shops lining the paths of my walk.

From the readings that I had done prior to arriving in Ottawa, it was a surprise to find that the CTF is only a two-man operation at the federal level.  Though there is a much larger network across all of Canada, it is a mission of the CTF to have a voice much louder than their resources would suggest. My colleagues are Jeff Bowes and Aaron Wudrick; equipped both with extensive knowledge of the Canadian political system and a commitment to promoting the efficient use of taxpayers' dollars. The offices are located on the eighth floor of a tower right in the heart of the city - offering a picturesque view, which includes the beautiful and imposing landscape of the Canadian Parliament.

When I woke on my second morning here, snow had begun to fall - this was a gentle reminder of how far from home I really was! The walk to work took twice as long due to the careful steps I was taking to avoid slipping on the ice. Though I was successful in not falling, more appropriate boots were going to be required. I proudly now own a new set of Blundstone boots, much cleaner and shinier than the pair I left at home on the farm.

I have really enjoyed becoming familiar with the work done at the CTF. A major project we worked on this week was investigating the taxpayer-funded expenditures of some key parliamentarians. On Thursday, this made every major news network as we broke a story of a particular commissioner who had racked up well over 200 flights since 2006 just commuting between his home, in Winnipeg, and Ottawa. At a cost of over half a million dollars (just getting to work) we asked the question of why living in Ottawa wasn't considered as a much more appropriate, cost-effective solution?

On Wednesday I took the afternoon off and went and sat in the public gallery to watch a session in the House of Commons. There was plenty of noise being thrown between the two sides of the house which was greatly entertaining. At the end of the session the chamber held one minute of silence for Jean Béliveau, a well-respected Ice Hockey player who had passed away at 83. It was incredibly moving to go from the chaos of question time to complete silence in the presence of Canada's politicians. 

Ottawa has really impressed me thus far; particularly as a city with beautiful architecture and extremely friendly and welcoming people. I am very much looking forward to finding out what the months ahead hold for me, and being able to capture as much of that as possible in this weekly entry. For now though; goodbye and au revoir!

To check out our scholars' blogs, please click on the links below:

 Mannerisms