The School of Public Policy Annual Growth Review 2012
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THE SCHOOL OF ANNUAL GROWTH REVIEW PUBLIC POLICY 2012 The School of Public Policy The School of Public Policy provides a practical, global and focused perspective on public policy analysis and practice in three focus areas: • Social & Economic Policy • Energy & Environmental Policy • International Policy Our mission is to get public policy right in THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY this country. This means strengthening Canada’s University of Calgary, Downtown Campus public service and bridging the gap between 906 8th Avenue S.W., 5th Floor, business, government and academia. These are Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 1H9 the keys to unleashing Canada’s full economic Phone: (403) 210-7100 potential – domestically and internationally. Fax: (403) 210-6939 E-mail: [email protected] We fulfill our mission by: BUILDING CAPACITY IN GOVERNMENT: www.policyschool.ca The Master of Public Policy (MPP) program trains students to hit the ground running, offering them practical, hands-on and intensive experience in policy development and analysis. PRODUCING INFLUENTIAL RESEARCH: Our research papers and communiqués offer in-depth analysis on the most pertinent issues of the day and create specific recommendations for policy makers. IMPROVING PUBLIC POLICY DISCOURSE: We bridge the gap between business, government and academia by creating forums for communication and best-practice-sharing. PROVIDING A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: The School of Public Policy has launched an initiative with two other highly regarded foreign policy institutes to create a critical mass of foreign policy expertise. THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY ANNUAL GROWTH REVIEW 2012 Welcome This report summarizes the activities of The School of Public Policy for its financial year from April 2011 to March 2012. This was an exciting year for The School and it is important that we acknowledge and share some of its highlights with you. be making great contributions to public policy in Canada and abroad. This past year was also exciting for public policy in general. The 2011 federal election and the Keystone XL Pipeline proceedings were just two major occurrences the Canadian public watched with great interest. The School’s academics shared 1 expertise and commentary on these issues with the media on a daily basis. As such our media presence grew to be the largest in the country amongst policy schools. Above all, I am tremendously proud of the growth We could not have achieved these successes we achieved in all aspects of The School’s without the contributions of a large number of operations. We expanded our Executive Programs people. A great deal of credit is owed to our donors and Outreach by offering a total of 49 events, for their commitment to The School’s mission of including roundtables, symposia, student lectures bettering public policy in Canada. The efforts of our and community talks. Our research efforts produced staff, faculty, fellows and advisory council have also 27 new papers, all examining relevant policy been integral to our development. Finally, I must issues and offering specific recommendations to thank the thousands of individuals who have shown government. Even the number of people involved their support for The School by attending our events, with The School grew, now totaling an impressive 45 following our research or engaging us directly. individual faculty, fellows, advisory council members or staff. Sincerely, In September 2011, The School opened its classroom doors for the very first time as we welcomed the inaugural class of the Master of Public Policy (MPP). Having taught these students for several months and seen their engagement at Jack Mintz many of our events, I am confident they will soon Director and Palmer Chair in Public Policy THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY ANNUAL GROWTH REVIEW 2012 Contents 03 News 16 Media Coverage 04 Research 17 Executive 11 Executive Programs and Outreach 18 Directors 13 Community Outreach Events 19 Faculty 14 MPP Speakers Series 20 Fellows, Research Staff, Advisory Council 2 News • In its 2011 financial year, The • Since inception, The School has - $600,000 investment from School hosted 49 unique events. secured over $40 million to fund a consortium of partners This includes 6 research symposia, various research, outreach and including Manulife Financial, 20 MPP Speaker Series talks, 17 academic programs. Highlights from the Canadian Bankers Community Outreach events, and 6 the past year include: Association and the Investment specialized forums involving business, - Over $500,000 in graduate Funds Institute of Canada for government and academia. scholarships for Master of Public the Financial Regulation and Economic Policy Program • In May 2011, Robert Mansell, Policy students Academic Director for The School, - $1M investment from TransCanada - Over $400,000 in sponsorship received a Premier’s Award from the Corporation to create a program from community and business Government of the Northwest in Energy Policy and Regulatory leaders throughout Canada Territories for his work on the Frameworks for various keynote speaking Mackenzie Gas Project National events and policy symposia - $5M investment for the Taxation 3 Energy Board Intervention and Economic Growth Program, We would like to thank all our Project Team. creating a global centre of donors from the past year, • In September 2011, The School excellence in taxation at The and previous years, for their welcomed 40 students to the School generous support. inaugural class of its Master of Public - Established a research program Policy program and launched its in Sustainable Prosperity focusing Student Lecture Series featuring on policies to expand and sustain policy experts from the private, public Canada’s global competitiveness. and non-profit sectors. This program also supports the Master of Public Policy Student • Martha Hall Findlay, former Member Lecture Series of Parliament for Willowdale, joined The School as an Executive Fellow in - $5M investment into The School’s the fall of 2011. International Policy programs - $500,000 investment from • In October 2011, the Federal PricewaterhouseCoopers for an annual Government appointed Jack Mintz, tax roundtable and research program Director of The School of Public Policy, to the governing council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. The agency, which was formed in 1977, is charged with promoting and supporting post- secondary research and training in the humanities and social sciences. • Professor Ken McKenzie was awarded the 2011 Doug Purvis Memorial Prize for his paper Taxation and R&D: An Investigation of the Push and Pull Effects, co-authored by Natalia Sershun. The prize is awarded annually to the authors of a highly significant, written contribution to Canadian economic policy. THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY ANNUAL GROWTH REVIEW 2012 Research The School of Public Policy’s publications series offers in-depth, evidence-based assessments and recommendations on a range of public policy issues. All research falls under one of three priority areas: • Economic & Social Policy • Energy & Environmental Policy • International Policy In the 2011 financial year, The School released a total of 27 publications: 23 Research Papers and 4 Communiqués. April 2011 May 2011 4 Can the G-20 Save the Canada's World Can Get A Lot likelihood of the party being able to Environment? Potential Impact Bigger: The Group of 20, Global achieve electoral victory. The authors of the G-20 on International Governance and Security look at voter sentiment in key areas Environmental Policy By: Paul Heinbecker such as western alienation, social By: Barry Carin conservatism, environmental issues The author examines Canada’s and the role of government, among This report examines the prospect international standing and finds a others, and compare these results of G-20 leaders taking hard action tarnished reputation that can be with the Wildrose’s positions on on environmental issues and finds restored through careful use of G-20 these issues. that it is unlikely that environmental relationships. The paper outlines policy will be a major agenda item ten points of action for Canada to Small Business Taxation: at G-20 meetings to come thanks advance its role in the G-20 and to Revamping Incentives to to current economic and financial position Canada as an influential Encourage Growth challenges. The report includes an international player. Among these evaluation of ten environmental recommendations is a call for By: Duanjie Chen & Jack Mintz action points – Climate Change, Canada to overcome the loss of its The authors analyze small business Water, Forests, Biodiversity and Land seat on the UN Security Council by tax policies in Canada and find that Use Management, Air Pollution, pushing for collaboration between despite the common belief that small Waste Management, Ozone Layer the UN and the G-20. business tax concessions encourage Depletion, Oceans, Fisheries and job creation and economic growth, Population – that shows a pressing Is This the End of the Tory this cannot be substantiated. In need for global cooperation. Dynasty? The Wildrose Alliance addition to challenging current in Alberta Politics provincial tax policies, the authors provide a clear set of By: Anthony Sayers & David Stewart recommendations for government: This paper offers an empirical Encourage investment in depreciable analysis of whether the Wildrose assets, create a capital gains Alliance is aligned with the political incentive for small businesses going values of Albertans. Based