Who was Barbara Mitchell?

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Every year at this time, we ask ourselves: Why should we measure the performance of schools? In previous editions of the Fraser Institute's Report Card on British Columbia's Secondary Schools (Report Card), the question has prompted a two part answer. First, we measure performance so that the schools will have an objective benchmark against which to improve. Second, and equally as important, the Fraser Institute's Report Card on British Columbia's Secondary Schools measures and reports the performance of schools so that parents and students can make a more informed choice of an education provider.

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The Budget Performance Index measures the recent fiscal performance of the provinces and the federal government. The index incorporates a variety of measures of spending, tax rates, tax revenues, deficits, and debt.

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Notwithstanding all of the well-publicized difficulties, it is clear that the business of treaty making with aboriginal tribes will continue in Canada, and especially in British Columbia. For those who are concerned with the course of the current process, there is an obligation to suggest alternate approaches. In discussing this, a few caveats should be noted at the beginning.

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The index presented in this report represents a continuation of our efforts to develop an objective measure of economic freedom. Ratings are presented for 57 nations in 1970, 83 in 1975, 107 in 1980, 111 in 1985, 115 in 1990, 122 in 1995, and 123 in 1997. This is the first publication to present ratings for 1970. Although more recent data are available for some components, we present 1997 data mainly because the data for that year are virtually complete.

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This study provides a non-technical overview of the issues surrounding the debate about productivity and discusses why productivity growth is essential if Canadians want a high and rising standard of living. Productivity refers to the efficiency with which an economy transforms inputs (capital and labour) into outputs (goods and services).

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The Alberta proposal raises three issues. First, do for-profit hospitals perform better than non-profit ones? Second, do private hospitals (either for-profit or non-profit) perform better than government-run (public) ones? Third, does intensified competition among hospitals enhance or reduce medical care? Each of these issues has been extensively studied by economists and health policy analysts.

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The Third Way has been described as the Loch Ness Monster of contemporary public policy-everyone has heard of it, there are occasional sightings, but no one is sure that the beast really exists.

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