Frontier Centre

All Canadian provinces have laws in place that punish people for texting or talking on cellphones while driving.

But the rising number of tickets indicates people are just not listening.

Jurisdictions with distracted driving laws have actually seen an increase in collisions compared to similar places that have no such laws.

Police officers often catch drivers on their phones at stop lights where it is relatively safe, so drivers are tempted to dial while moving because they're less likely to get caught.

These laws also encourage drivers to text or phone from their laps rather than at eye level, causing them to take their eyes completely off the road.

The biggest danger in all of this is that using a phone divides the driver’s focus of attention, increasing the risk of a collision.

The additional distraction of watching out for police officers only makes it worse.

In some communities, officers are posing as panhandlers to catch distracted drivers.

Rather than all this effort and expense focused on catching offenders, what's needed is more effective education so that people have a better understanding of the dangers involved.

If Canadians do get in a collision because of driving distracted, they should be strongly penalized, but the current enforcement approach is not making things safer on the road.

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

And please visit our website www.fcpp.org.

All Canadian provinces have laws in place that punish people for texting or talking on cellphones while driving.

But the rising number of tickets indicates people are just not listening.

Jurisdictions with distracted driving laws have actually seen an increase in collisions compared to similar places that have no such laws.

Police officers often catch drivers on their phones at stop lights where it is relatively safe, so drivers are tempted to dial while moving because they're less likely to get caught.

These laws also encourage drivers to text or phone from their laps rather than at eye level, causing them to take their eyes completely off the road.

The biggest danger in all of this is that using a phone divides the driver’s focus of attention, increasing the risk of a collision.

The additional distraction of watching out for police officers only makes it worse.

In some communities, officers are posing as panhandlers to catch distracted drivers.

Rather than all this effort and expense focused on catching offenders, what's needed is more effective education so that people have a better understanding of the dangers involved.

If Canadians do get in a collision because of driving distracted, they should be strongly penalized, but the current enforcement approach is not making things safer on the road.

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

And please visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Unemployment is a chronic problem for Canada’s Aboriginal people, but Cold Lake First Nations in Alberta have achieved success that’s worth trumpeting.

Band member James Blackman started the Primco Dene Group of Companies.

The businesses are wholly owned by the Cold Lake band, includes a catering company, an emergency medical services company, and a well-servicing company, among others.

So far the Primco Dene Group employs 650 people, and 500 of them are Aboriginal.

Employees may try several different jobs before finding the one they prefer. The result is greater satisfaction for both employee and employer.

Some employment policies are specifically designed to accommodate cultural needs.

More bereavement days are allowed each year, reflecting the importance of funeral ceremonies in Aboriginal families.

A high school diploma is not considered essential, and many employees have been successful in demonstrating their abilities in other ways.

They also take a more relaxed approach to things like criminal records checks which can be a major hurdle for Aboriginals to clear.

Businesses in Cold Lake do not believe that a past mistake should automatically prevent someone from moving forward into a better life.

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

For more on First Nations initiatives, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Unemployment is a chronic problem for Canada’s Aboriginal people, but Cold Lake First Nations in Alberta have achieved success that’s worth trumpeting.

Band member James Blackman started the Primco Dene Group of Companies.

The businesses are wholly owned by the Cold Lake band, includes a catering company, an emergency medical services company, and a well-servicing company, among others.

So far the Primco Dene Group employs 650 people, and 500 of them are Aboriginal.

Employees may try several different jobs before finding the one they prefer. The result is greater satisfaction for both employee and employer.

Some employment policies are specifically designed to accommodate cultural needs.

More bereavement days are allowed each year, reflecting the importance of funeral ceremonies in Aboriginal families.

A high school diploma is not considered essential, and many employees have been successful in demonstrating their abilities in other ways.

They also take a more relaxed approach to things like criminal records checks which can be a major hurdle for Aboriginals to clear.

Businesses in Cold Lake do not believe that a past mistake should automatically prevent someone from moving forward into a better life.

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

For more on First Nations initiatives, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Cutting through the Edu-Babble - Research Fellow Michael Zwaagstra - Nineteenth National Congress on Rural Education in Canada, Saskatoon, March 31, 2014

Cutting through the Edu-Babble - Research Fellow Michael Zwaagstra - Nineteenth National Congress on Rural Education in Canada, Saskatoon, March 31, 2014

Politicians are fond of championing the middle class, but a recent study by Statistics Canada shows that middle income Canadians are doing relatively well compared with those who fall below the poverty line and younger Canadians are falling behind older cohorts.

Traditional welfare programs have done little to help those who need it most. One option would be replacing transfer payments to provinces with cash transfers to individuals.

Those transfers would go directly to every Canadian. Since it would be taxable, those above the income tax exemption level would see clawbacks that would ensure that low income Canadians benefit the most.

Economists on both the left and the right now see cash transfers as an improvement over programs that lock many Canadians into a cycle of dependence.

As far back at the 1970s, Manitoba showed some positive results with a guaranteed income pilot program in Dauphin, but there wasn’t much follow-up. Unconditional transfers also have less administrative cost than traditional assistance.

Experience has shown that families are generally better at budgeting their money than governments.

Additionally, recent graduates who rarely see any of the federal government’s largess would get a little bit of help during a time of high youth unemployment and increasing costs for first time home buyers.

We need better outcomes in the fight against poverty, and transferring money directly to individuals would be a good start.

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

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

Politicians are fond of championing the middle class, but a recent study by Statistics Canada shows that middle income Canadians are doing relatively well compared with those who fall below the poverty line and younger Canadians are falling behind older cohorts.

Traditional welfare programs have done little to help those who need it most. One option would be replacing transfer payments to provinces with cash transfers to individuals.

Those transfers would go directly to every Canadian. Since it would be taxable, those above the income tax exemption level would see clawbacks that would ensure that low income Canadians benefit the most.

Economists on both the left and the right now see cash transfers as an improvement over programs that lock many Canadians into a cycle of dependence.

As far back at the 1970s, Manitoba showed some positive results with a guaranteed income pilot program in Dauphin, but there wasn’t much follow-up. Unconditional transfers also have less administrative cost than traditional assistance.

Experience has shown that families are generally better at budgeting their money than governments.

Additionally, recent graduates who rarely see any of the federal government’s largess would get a little bit of help during a time of high youth unemployment and increasing costs for first time home buyers.

We need better outcomes in the fight against poverty, and transferring money directly to individuals would be a good start.

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

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

Michael Zwaagstra joins John Gormley to discuss Education Assessment Fads.

Michael Zwaagstra joins John Gormley to discuss Education Assessment Fads.