Editor's notes

For some time now, Institute staff and supporters have had their spirits buoyed by the increasing acceptance of our ideas in circles where we were previously most unwelcome.

In late 1994 in Toronto the Institute hosted the conference "Hitting the Wall: Is Canada Bankrupt?" Many journalists were in attendance and one of them, John Fund from the Wall Street Journal, wrote an editorial that has had a big impact in Canada. Corroborating research done by the Director for the International Centre for the Study of Public Debt, Robin Richardson, John Fund warned U.S. investors that Canada is now an honourary member of the third world in terms of its indebtedness. The Canadian dollar dropped in value, interest rates consequently rose, and politicians were annoyed. But many Canadians now believe that there is a crisis and they are asking us what should be done.

Again with this issue of Fraser Forum, Institute authors try to offer solutions, not just to Canada's debt problems (we have reprinted the Wall Street Journal editorial and our comments for you) but solutions to the sovereignty crisis, to funding higher education, and to many of the concerns raised by thinking Canadians today.

This issue's authors

Dr. Walter Block is a professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachussets. From 1979 to 1991 he was Senior Economist at The Fraser Institute for which he has written or edited numerous articles and books including Rent Control: Myths and Realities and the award-winning Economics and the Environment.

Gordon Gibson has served both as an MLA and as leader of the B.C. Liberal Party (1975-79). He is a columnist and author of the recent Fraser Institute book Plan B: The Future of the Rest of Canada.

Isabella Horry is The Fraser Institute's Research Economist and co-author of many Institute books and publications. She received her M.A. in Economics from the University of British Columbia.

Kristin McCahon is Director of Publication Production at The Fraser Institute. She has her M.A. in English Literature from the University of British Columbia.

Lydia Miljan is Director of the National Media Archive, a division of The Fraser Institute. She earned an M.A. in Communications from the University of Calgary. She researches and writes On Balance.

Tracey Nicholls-Taylor is a student in the C.G.A. program with the C.G.A. Association of British Columbia.

Robin Richardson is the Director of the International Centre for the Study of Public Debt, a division of The Fraser Institute. He has an M.A. in Political Economy from the University of Toronto and holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He is the author or editor of several Institute publications.

Christopher Sarlo teaches economics at Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario. He is the author of Poverty in Canada, published by The Fraser Institute.

Karen Selick practices law in Belleville, Ontario. She is also a columnist for Canadian Lawyer.

Dr. Michael Walker is Executive Director of The Fraser Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. He has written, edited, or co-authored dozens of Fraser Institute books and publications.

Dr. Edwin West is Professor Emeritus in the Economics Department at Carleton University.

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