Abstract
A comprehensive research essay on Canada's political sponsorship scandal and the resulting Gomery Commission, focusing mainly on the noticeable difference in eastern Canada versus western Canada media coverage of the scandal. The paper points out the correlation between the general political views of east and west Canada and the content of news stories on the sponsorship scandal.

From the Paper
"Up to this point it would be fair to say that in Western Canada, the coverage of the government sponsorship scandal and the Gomery Commission seems to reflect how very important the issue is to the majority of people in this part of the country. Most Westerners were outraged to find out that millions of dollars of taxpayers' money had been flowing to Liberal-friendly advertising firms under the false front of fighting Quebec separatism, designed to pay for raising the Liberal Party's electoral stock, so to speak. Given the fact that the Liberal Government has long been much more openly criticized in Western Canada than East, most of us were likely eager to know the facts when it was found that Prime Minister Paul Martin and the Liberals had made a mistake, especially one as large as the sponsorship scandal that has come to be known in the news as "AdScam". Media outlets here in the West realize that eagerness, and have subsequently provided the public with a massive number of stories and updates regarding AdScam and the Gomery Commission."

Tags:adscam, canada, government, liberal, media, politics

Abstract
This paper examines how the subsequent launch of the Euro and the move toward dollarization has prompted debate as to Canada's potential involvement in such a union with the United States. It attempts to prove how under a common currency, the costs to Canada would prevail over the benefits and such a step would be detrimental to aspects of Canadian economics, society, politics and culture.

From the Paper
"It is an advantage for Canada to have control over its monetary policy for several reasons. By increasing the money supply, the Bank of Canada can lower interest rates, which lowers the exchange rate. As mentioned above, flexible exchange rates adjust to falling export prices and in so doing, reduce unemployment. Even if the Bank of Canada does, for the most part, tend to follow suit with the Federal Reserve Bank's interest rate decisions; it is doing so by choice because it is deemed that this is in Canada's best interest. It is comforting to know that when extenuating circumstances arise, decisions on monetary policy ultimately rest with the Bank of Canada, which is primarily concerned with the wellbeing of Canada."

Tags:business, currency, dollarization, economics, exchange, finance, foreign, international

Abstract
A single currency in NAFTA has been an issue that has become more frequent today in North America. In determining whether this is a good decision or not it is important to review the pros and cons of having a single currency. This paper analyzes what might be the impact if the nations of the North American Free Trade Agreement were to launch a monetary union policy. The paper also discusses the advantages and disadvantages for each nation and its impact on the economy. Graphs are provided where relevant.

From the Paper
"Some of the Canadian politicians like Courchene and Harris have argued that if Canada creates a monetary union with the United States it would "reduce transaction costs, that is how much it costs to make a certain trade in terms of time. These costs are incurred because of border-related paperwork and the use of two currencies that fluctuate in value against each other. A monetary union would relieve companies of these costs, reduce the paperwork and offer a more stable macro-economic environment allowing for more accurate calculation of profit margins." According to the above statements and research it is apparent that a single currency would be beneficial to MNEs in NAFTA in many different ways especially in terms of financial costs."

Tags:single, currency, nafta, Free, Trade, euro, dollarization

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that globalization has had major impacts on Canada and not necessarily for the better. What is often referred to as the new world economy, the internationalism of capitalism, the global village and neo-liberalism, globalization is about a world wide wave of liberalization of trade, investment and capital flows. The writer discusses that this brings the consequent growing importance of these flows and of international competition in the world economy. The writer points out that national boundaries, tariffs, and subsidies are all broken as a result of alliances between nation states and large corporations. The writer argues that as big businesses can search the world for the cheapest and most efficient workers, communities, and countries to produce their particular product, not everybody in Canada wins.

From the Paper
"McBride and Shields argue that Canadian neo-liberalism will inevitably lead to a collapse of Canada's already weak identity. Resistance to the negative effects of globalization must be implemented before changes can be made. Brecher and Costello offer a number of suggestions to counteract the negative effects of globalization. They propose we start by changing our outlook and seeking to satisfy individual Canadians instead of large corporations. This will involve democratizing global institutions like the World Bank, the IMF, and GATT/WTO. As globalization brings competitiveness we must realize how it can command our lives and know the difference between a short term constraint of competitive edge and long term growing competitiveness and learn to limit this before it completely takes over our lives. This process means that we must create a democratic world structure to which large corporation feel accountable for their often heartless actions, creating a strict set of rights and standards will assist this new democracy protecting the rights of the Canadian people. "

Tags:economy, trade, competition, workers

Abstract
This paper analyzes and compares two very prominent and informative essays regarding the Metis in Western Canada which are included in the work, "From Ruperts Land to Canada". The first essay discussed is John E. Foster's "Wintering, the Outsider Adult Male and the Ethnogenesis of the Western Plains Metis" which explores the emergence of the culturally distinct Metis through a process of relationship building and trade relations. The second essay discussed is Gerhard J. Ens' "Metis Ethnicity, Personal Identity and the Development of Capitalism in the Western Interior: The Case of Johnny Grant" which focuses on the successes and failures of the Metis in economic terms, as well as how the economic situation of the Metis was a determining factor in how they viewed their true identity (European or Indian).

From the Paper
"The essay written by John E. Foster explored the emergence of the Metis as a distinct cultural group. Gerhard J. Ens took Foster's findings and explored the question of Metis identity in the economic realm. The development of a unique Metis identity was a long and complex process that took several generations to solidify. Foster sees the establishment of the Metis group as not European and not Indian in character, but something entirely different. Ens accepts Fosters theory about the emergence of the Metis people as a new culture, but states that the Metis people only embraced their unique identity in times of economic success. When the going got tough economically, the Metis were quick to downplay the uniqueness and distinctiveness of their Metis status and adopt the identy of one of the fathering cultures (Euro or Indian). When economics is not a determining factor, the Metis like Johnny Grant, recognized their special Metis identity and helped to continue the tradition of country marriage and other crucial relationships that allowed the Metis to emerge."

Tags:ethnogenesis, commis, l?homme, libre

Abstract
This paper discusses the softwood lumber dispute between the U.S. and Canada which strained already hostile relations between the two neighbors. It examines the justification for the U.S. ?protective? tariffs for guarding their own lumber industry, while there are several hundred thousand Canadian forestry workers unemployed. It looks at the negotiations between the two countries with U.S. officials unwilling to compromise and evaluates whether the Canadian lumber industry survive under these restrictions imposed by its number one importer.

From the Paper
"The duties imposed adversely affect many while benefiting few. The seven million US workers employed by the housing and forest industries are virtually unaffected by the tariffs and the consumer price will only rise due to the tariffs. While the rise of housing costs in the US may be excused as a boom in the housing market, the real reason lies within its framing of more-expensive domestic lumber. Some Canadian mills have shifted from processing softwood lumber to processing specialized products, such as pallets, posts, and rails. The lower price at which the Canadian mills can supply, in comparison to US mills, has attracted the attention of the US consumer, therefore crippling a small part of the industry the duties were designed to protect."

Tags:environment, forestry, timber, duties

Abstract
Examines poverty in Canada and whether or not the problem is as large as made out to be. The writer compares absolute and relative poverty measures and what these statistics mean. It begins by providing a basic definition of poverty and how this relates to the situation in Canada. It then takes a look at the poverty stats in Canada and how these are played out on a day-to-day basis.

From the Paper
"Poverty is an enduring social issue. Poverty is as much of a problem today as it has been since the birth of capitalism; although capitalism is not the sole cause of poverty. Poverty is a contentious issue for numerous reasons. First off, there is not a unilaterally accepted definition of poverty. Both relative and absolute measures of poverty are undertaken, with each producing different sets of data and implications. The causes of poverty are varied and are mainly a by-product of the nature of the Canadian economy. Capitalism itself is less of a cause as is the discrimination within the job market that capitalism permits. When these factors are fully taken into account and fully understood, only then will the poverty issue be an issue of the past."

Tags:absolute, cut, income, lines, low, off, poor, relative

Abstract
The paper examines the Social Union Framework Agreement (SUFA), also known as the Calgary Declaration, and the effect it will have on fiscal federalism. It argues that the SUFA is a realization that modern federalism is not sufficient to govern a complex and highly decentralized modern welfare state. The paper also includes charts, figures and graphs.

From the Paper
"The manifest purpose of SUFA is to manage intergovernmental relations in the area of social policy, given the high degree of interconnectedness between federal and provincial social programs. These intergovernmental relations include not only the social programs by each level of government, but also, the management of transfer payments from the federal government to the provinces. It is these transfer payments which permit a high degree of program decentralization given centralization of taxation powers; in theory, this type of arrangement ought to be economically efficient by allowing program delivery to be customized to local circumstances, but maintaining national taxation standards to avoid taxation policies which would promote factor flight, resulting in an inefficient allocation of labor and capital. Increasingly, however, revenues available to the provinces through taxation and transfers are inadequate to meet their program needs. This "vertical fiscal imbalance", though disputed by the federal government, is a serious long-term problem for provincial governments and a major motivation behind the "Calgary Declaration" which led to SUFA. On analysis, though, SUFA does not restrain the spending power of the federal government the way the provinces had intended, and will not have any meaningful impact on vertical fiscal imbalance."

Tags:canada, intergovernmental, programs, relations, social, union, framework, agreement, calgary, declaration

Abstract
This paper summarizes an article and discusses some possible solutions for preparing the current Canadian Medicare system for the aging baby boom population. It focuses on the reasons why a privitized health care system would not be beneficial to the majority of Canadians, and the alternatives that could be adopted to end the Medicare crisis.

From the Paper
"The possibility of the aging baby boom flooding the health system, and rendering it impossible to fund has been a topic of particular interest recently. Medicare has been the pride of the Canadian welfare state, and concerns for it s future have led to many propositions. It is predominantly a publicly financed, privately delivered health care system that combines the entire country s insurance plans (Macionis 346). One extreme is to abandon Medicare altogether, and replace it with a privatized system. Conflict theorists, who feel that it would only benefit profit-seekers, the wealthy, and a small minority of powerful capitalists, have criticized this suggestion. The majority of theorists, particularly functionalists, seek solutions that are less radical, and could include the present Medicare system, but improve it s efficiency, and availability (Manga 182). Research has shown that an aging population does not pose a threat to the present health care system, but changes could be made to reduce the risk of Medicare becoming increasingly costly in the future (Poplin 49). The imposition of a private health care system would not be to the advantage of most Canadians, but reforms could improve the efficiency of the current system. "

Tags:aging, baby, boom, canadian, care, health, medicare, sociology

Abstract
This paper is an overview of what the World Trade Organization (WTO) is and what it does. The history of the WTO is discussed as well as its advantages and disadvantages to Canada.

From the Paper
"The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization engaging in the rules of trade between countries. At its core are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world's trading nations and confirmed in their parliaments. The organization accounts for over 90% of world trade and consist of 135 member nations that range from the US-to-Cuba-to-The Kyrgyz Republic."

Tags:agreements, globalization, international, subsidies, trade