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Fraser Forum is a monthly review of public policy in Canada, with articles covering taxation, education, health care policy, and a wide range of other topics. Forum writers are economists, Institute research analysts, and selected authors, including those from other public policy think tanks.

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This study aims to measure the difference in access to new medicines that results from duplication of effort in Canada. By compiling a list of new drugs approved in Canada between 2005-2011/12 (Health Canada moved from calendar-year to fiscal-year reporting in 2011/12), and comparing the corresponding approval dates with those in the United States and the European Union.

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Recent events have elevated the importance of how we transport energy—specifically oil—to high profile status. The long-stalled approval of the Keystone XL pipeline is probably the highest profile political event that has caused oil transport to surge to the fore in energy policy discussions today, but more prosaic economic issues also have played a role.

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The index published in Economic Freedom of the World 2013 measures the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom. The cornerstones of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete, and security of privately owned property. Forty-two variables are used to construct a summary index and to measure the degree of economic freedom in five broad areas: (1) size of government; (2) legal system and property rights; (3) sound money; (4) freedom to trade internationally; and (5) regulation.

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In 2011, more than six million Canadians were enrolled in some type of registered pension plan.

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This paper reviews the literature on teacher education, certification, and hiring, showing that there are great differences in the effectiveness of teachers in public schools. Better teachers are not necessarily those with more education and more experience, the two traditional variables used when determining salaries.

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The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement currently under negotiation will secure a trade alliance between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam. These countries have a combined economy (GDP) of over $27 trillion, comprising nearly 35 percent of global GDP and about one third of global trade.