Frontier Centre

The First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which was passed by parliament in 2013, helps band members take steps to improve the governance of their communities.

It requires the Chief and Council to post audited financial statements including their salaries and benefits on a public website and on the website of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

In the past, band members often found that they did not have easy access to such information.

The posting of financial statements online ensures that band members can now access these documents quickly, and anonymously.

Transparency and accountability have been enshrined in the nine principles of good governance of the United Nations Development Program.

It should help to foster economic growth and stabilize governance on First Nations.

A recent report in BC found that improved transparency and accountability on the Westbank First Nation resulted in greater respect for the government from band members as well as from businesses and other governments.

When First Nations are transparent with their own people, all day to day life becomes more accountable, resulting in a better future.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which was passed by parliament in 2013, helps band members take steps to improve the governance of their communities.

It requires the Chief and Council to post audited financial statements including their salaries and benefits on a public website and on the website of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

In the past, band members often found that they did not have easy access to such information.

The posting of financial statements online ensures that band members can now access these documents quickly, and anonymously.

Transparency and accountability have been enshrined in the nine principles of good governance of the United Nations Development Program.

It should help to foster economic growth and stabilize governance on First Nations.

A recent report in BC found that improved transparency and accountability on the Westbank First Nation resulted in greater respect for the government from band members as well as from businesses and other governments.

When First Nations are transparent with their own people, all day to day life becomes more accountable, resulting in a better future.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

When it comes to climate change, politicians and activists often point to climate models in support of their preferred approach to the issue, such as those who favour carbon taxes.

Climate models are a virtual version of our planet, using powerful computers to project future climate trends.

The models use data and physical principles to represent various components, such as the oceans, land surfaces, atmosphere, and cloud movements.

However, there is growing scepticism about the overall reliability of some of the data, such as temperature records, on which these climate models rely.

There are also differing views on the understanding of some the processes, such as how much heat the oceans can absorb.

Even the smallest variations can have a significant impact on the outcome of a climate model and our understanding of the science.

While there’s nothing wrong with scientists learning from their mistakes and correcting them as time passes, activists tend to hold up these climate models as infallible.

They should be very careful when making these kinds of claims, because they have a major impact on public policy and incorrect models can undermine the public’s trust in science.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on environmental policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

When it comes to climate change, politicians and activists often point to climate models in support of their preferred approach to the issue, such as those who favour carbon taxes.

Climate models are a virtual version of our planet, using powerful computers to project future climate trends.

The models use data and physical principles to represent various components, such as the oceans, land surfaces, atmosphere, and cloud movements.

However, there is growing scepticism about the overall reliability of some of the data, such as temperature records, on which these climate models rely.

There are also differing views on the understanding of some the processes, such as how much heat the oceans can absorb.

Even the smallest variations can have a significant impact on the outcome of a climate model and our understanding of the science.

While there’s nothing wrong with scientists learning from their mistakes and correcting them as time passes, activists tend to hold up these climate models as infallible.

They should be very careful when making these kinds of claims, because they have a major impact on public policy and incorrect models can undermine the public’s trust in science.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on environmental policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Education researcher Michael Zwaagstra has a new handbook coming out next month from the Frontier Centre. Parents’ guide to Common Sense Education in Saskatchewan covers issues ranging from standardized testing to report cards and teaching strategies. (CJME)

Education researcher Michael Zwaagstra has a new handbook coming out next month from the Frontier Centre. Parents’ guide to Common Sense Education in Saskatchewan covers issues ranging from standardized testing to report cards and teaching strategies. (CJME)

As classes resume at Canada's universities, students are paying mandatory fees of as much as 200 dollars each to student unions.

These organizations do several things for students.

They administer health and dental plans, fund a variety of activities including sports teams, and they advocate on behalf of the students to the university administration and government on matters like tuition fees.

But quite often student unions are dominated by political activists rather than acting as representatives of the whole student body on a university campus.

They fund political causes not every student agrees with and often focus their efforts on issues that have almost nothing to do with post-secondary education.

Our provincial governments should seriously consider following the example of Australia and New Zealand.

In these countries, students now have a choice of whether to join a student union or not.

In some cases, the students still have to pay for services formerly run by the unions, such as sports facilities, but student fees are not used to support political causes.

Rather than imposing their own politics on students, student unions should have to listen to the needs and desires of their fellow students.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on post-secondary education, visit our website, www.fcpp.org.

As classes resume at Canada's universities, students are paying mandatory fees of as much as 200 dollars each to student unions.

These organizations do several things for students.

They administer health and dental plans, fund a variety of activities including sports teams, and they advocate on behalf of the students to the university administration and government on matters like tuition fees.

But quite often student unions are dominated by political activists rather than acting as representatives of the whole student body on a university campus.

They fund political causes not every student agrees with and often focus their efforts on issues that have almost nothing to do with post-secondary education.

Our provincial governments should seriously consider following the example of Australia and New Zealand.

In these countries, students now have a choice of whether to join a student union or not.

In some cases, the students still have to pay for services formerly run by the unions, such as sports facilities, but student fees are not used to support political causes.

Rather than imposing their own politics on students, student unions should have to listen to the needs and desires of their fellow students.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on post-secondary education, visit our website, www.fcpp.org.

Michael Zwaagstra discusses the B.C. teachers union strike on CBC's The Current. Should the make up of classes be part of teachers' contract talks?

Michael Zwaagstra discusses the B.C. teachers union strike on CBC's The Current. Should the make up of classes be part of teachers' contract talks?