Saskatchewan Institute S I P P of Public Policy Number 2 University of Regina December 2000 Acting in the National Interest: The Saskatchewan Tradition The Honourable not mere survival, on the harsh prairie this country to work effectively in the Roy Romanow, compelled a collective spirit for the interests of all its citizens if we, as a QC, Premier of Saskatchewan “well-being of all its members,” he province, are to prosper.” addressed an theorized. Our “cultural factors are am- Premier Romanow spoke of the in- audience No- st plified by pragmatic, structural con- troduction of Medicare, “our gift to vember 1 , 2000 cerns, which encourage us to promote, Canada,” as an example of “federalism as part of a series of talks protect, and even champion the idea of at its best” and of Saskatchewan’s com- from the leaders national policies.” mitment to acting in the national inter- of the main “We know the Canadian experience est. Medicare was first established in provincial par- from many sides,” said the Premier. Saskatchewan in 1962. The experiment ties. Saskatchewan’s position as a “have” was a proven success and served as im- and “have not” province “has taught us petus for the national adoption of the “ askatchewan has a history of to recognise the limits of the federal program. Canadians recognised “that assessing, and acting in, the government’s legitimacy in maintaining our idea of accessible, publicly-funded S national interest,” Premier regional equity,” he said. Furthermore, health care for everyone really did re- Romanow told SIPP’s Leadership fo- our attitudes reflect both our neighbour- flect a ‘national interest’.” rum. Reminding the audience that Ca- ing provinces. For instant, Alberta’s Saskatchewan supports federal in- nadian historian Frank Underhill de- “province-building” initiatives through volvement, as its conditions ensure that scribed a nation as “a body of people expansion and diversification of the quality care is available to all Canadi- who has done great things with respect economy, and Manitoba’s interest in fed- ans. Romanow stated, “We support the to social policy, federal programs, na- eral-provincial agricultural issues. And federal spending power when it can pro- tional unity and trade,” Romanow said lastly, we know all too well the fiscal mote the national interest.” He was that Saskatchewan culture reflects Ca- reality: “We are a small province, and quick to add however that any federal nadians’ core values — co-operation, we understand (that) we need the larger self-interested moves would be opposed, compassion, community. Prosperity, if national community to help us provide “we have tried for years to advocate for important programs. We know we need (Continued on page 7) INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The ‘Invisible College’ Discusses Fiscal Federalism The Saskatchewan Institute of Public equalization and related issues in fiscal Director’s Notes 2 Policy and Saskatchewan Finance co- federalism. hosted an October 12–13, 2000 conference The conference was held at the Delta Mr. Elwin Hermanson: Building 3 on Fiscal Federalism: Working Out the Hotel and Convention Centre, Regina, and Communities, Slaying Government Future. While the conference had several attracted ninety attendees, primarily from objectives, its primary focus was on government and academe. Since the exploring the factors and issues that are conference was immediately preceded by Aboriginal Migration De-Mystified 4 likely to influence the next “renewal a meeting in Regina of the Transfers process” leading to the equalization Subcommittee of the Fiscal Arrangements arrangements for the period 2004!2005 to Committee, the attendees included most of 2008!2009. Given this, Dr. Paul Boothe, the federal and provincial officials directly Treaties as a Bridge to the Future 5 Deputy Minister of Finance, concerned with fiscal federalism, a group Saskatchewan, and Dr. Raymond Blake, Boothe refers to as the “Invisible Director SIPP, indicated that this College”. The presence of this group Sask Liberal Leader discusses 6 conference is likely to be the first of an undoubtedly contributed to the informed citizen participation in public annual series of conferences focussed on and lively discussion that characterised policy (Continued on page 7) Page 2 DIRECTOR’S NOTES everal months ago in this sec- ties to Council as well as others are directing tion of SIPP’s newsletter, I Lodge’s fic- their research dollars to socially and Stalked briefly about the need for tional world. economically relevant research. This public policy institutes such as ours to Some of that means that those agencies are in fact be relevant in all they do. As institutes is expected, consciously encouraging many of the like the Saskatchewan Institute of Pub- of course, new researchers to investigate many of lic Policy here in Regina strive for rele- but given the issues that face us as a society. vance, we must also reach out to in- the renewal Over the past few months at the Sas- clude the bright young women and men within the katchewan Institute of Public Policy we scholars in all our endeavours. This is, Canadian have prepared research proposals on of course, not a call to ignore anyone academy, health, productivity, and early child- over 30 but rather a reminder for us in we have to hood development. All of these subjects the public policy community to include be fully have major public policy implications. Raymond Blake in a meaningful way the bright new aware of the And, at SIPP all of our proposals have scholars across the country in the pub- need to in- included a number of young scholars in lic policy debate. clude the new scholars and practitioners the proposed research teams. David Lodge offers in Small World a within that group of seasoned veterans. parody of the academic conference cir- This is not to suggest that the existing cuit where a group of academics who community of public policy scholars, “Above all else, the public all know each other meet on a regular nestled, for the most part, in Canada’s policy community must be basis at all of the major conferences to universities are not a bright and creative discuss aspects of literary criticism. group. They are, and they continue to forward looking.” When one looks at the many confer- offer new insights into contemporary ences and other gatherings that loosely issues. However, that circle must be Some organizations are very serious involve the public policy community in widened. about including younger scholars in a Canada, one can find striking similari- We cannot forget that for much of the meaningful way. One of the best exam- last two decades the traditional disci- ples is the Association of Canadian plines in the arts and social sciences that Studies/Association d’etudies canadi- Newsletter Staff have provided the brain trust for much ennes which held a two-day workshop of the public policy debate outside of Kathryn Curran, Communications Coordinator in December. I must admit that I was Raymond Blake, Director government have not been renewed as involved in the conference as a member John Allan, Senior Policy Fellow vigorously as they might have been. of the ACS/AEC but the Association Now that the nation’s universities are adopted for its workshop a model that The newsletter is a publication of the Sas- once again hiring, those new scholars other organizations concerned about the katchewan Institute of Public Policy at the must be incorporated into the public pol- inclusion of new scholars and renewal University of Regina. Extracts from this icy process. might consider. Each Program Admin- publication may be reproduced provided the Moreover, the new scholars bring source is acknowledged. The views ex- istrator invited to the conference was pressed in the newsletter are not necessarily with them new perspectives and new invited to bring a junior faculty mem- the views of SIPP. insights. They have come of age only ber to participate in the workshop. This recently and their views of Canada and allowed younger scholars to become SIPP is a non-profit institute devoted to the issues that it faces are quite different involved in the discussions concerning stimulating public policy debate and provid- from that of those trained a generation the future directions of Canadian Stud- ing multidisciplinary expertise, experience, earlier. They will bring fresh perspec- research and analysis on social, economic, ies. That will be an important first step tives and they will make a contribution. fiscal, environmental, educational and ad- in encouraging the participation of new ministrative issues related to public policy. Above all else, the public policy com- scholars. munity must be forward looking. The public policy community must For more information please contact: The need to include new researchers also work seriously to include new and into the public policy community is fur- [email protected] younger scholars in the public policy ther hastened by the fact that virtually process. To do otherwise would reflect Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy every university in Canada today is en- badly on the public policy community University of Regina couraging its faculty – especially its re- in this country and certainly would not 2nd Floor, Gallery Building cent hires – to become active research- be good public policy. College Avenue & Cornwall Street ers and to apply for research funding. Regina, Saskatchewan The central funding agencies such as the S4S 0A2 Social Science and Humanities Research Page 3 BUILDING COMMUNITIES, SLAYING GOVERNMENT As part of a presentation series of son described the public reaction to the provincial leaders to speak on citizen government initiative as “an excellent engagement, Elwin Hermanson example of citizen engagement.” spoke to an audience of academics, Mr. Hermanson was critical of the civil servants, students and the gen- lack of debate in caucus, cabinet and the eral public.