Manitoba Policy Perspectives Journal (Volume 1, Issue 1)

The Manitoba Policy Perspectives (MPP) journal will foster a dialogue amongst students of universities across Manitoba from various disciplines through the online publication of papers in the areas of public policy, administration and governance as it pertains to regional and national issues.

The Journal strengthens the voice of Manitoba students in regional and national policy dialogues. Students will gain experience in the peer review process as well as learning leadership and organizational skills required to produce a quality online policy journal.

The August 2014 edition of Manitoba Policy Perspectives (Volume 1, Issue 1) is now available online. You can download a copy of the full issue here. This issue includes 8 papers written by undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg, which can each be downloaded below:

The Prohibition of Marijuana
Author: Michael Broughton

This paper argues that four current issues affect the determination of marijuana’s prohibition: social problems, health problems, marijuana as a gateway drug, and American pressures on Canadian policy. These factors impact the problem definition of marijuana use and suggest an impending policy change that reflects Canadian society’s view on this drug, based on contemporary indicators and focus events.

Keywords: Canadian marijuana policy, public policy cycle, problem definition

Download the PDF here.

Canadian Telecommunications Policy: Closing the Window on Foreign Investment
Author: Daniel Corkum

This paper demonstrates that the aftermath of the 2014 wireless spectrum auction closed the policy window which opened previously in 2012 to allow modest reform of the Canadian telecommunications sector. Kurt Lewin’s force field analysis is used as a theoretical model to demonstrate that efforts to promote foreign competition has stalled and will not likely resume until a new policy window forms.

Keywords: Canadian telecommunications policy, policy window, force field analysis, foreign investment

Download the PDF here.

Women and Employment Insurance in Canada: A Gendering-Based Assessment
Author: Mateja Jankov

Gendering-Based Assessment (Bacchi and Eveline 2003) is used as a conceptual framework to examine the shortcomings of gender mainstreaming in relation to employment insurance. By exposing the flaws inherent in neoliberalism, the paper questions the effectiveness of Canada’s gender-based analysis and argues that a deeper approach is needed to bring about systemic change.

Keywords: Canadian public policy, employment insurance, gender mainstreaming, Gendering- Based Assessment, Deep Evaluation

Download the PDF here.

Immigration Policy and the Live-In Caregiver Program: The Racialization of Feminized Work in Canada's Labour Market, an Intersectional Approach
Author: Danielle Krahn

Immigration programs in Canada such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) were created in order to meet labour market shortages with a more flexible labour force. This paper uses an intersectional framework to analyse the LCP as feminized work, revealing the intersecting inequalities of immigration status, gender, labour market participation, and racialization.

Keywords: Canadian immigration policy, Temporary Foreign Worker Program, Live-in Caregiver Program, migrant workers, intersectional analysis 

Download the PDF here.

An Evaluation of Canada's Procurement Policies for Aboriginal Business
Author: Erinn Mah

This paper explores evaluates the Canadian government’s Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business using a policy tool framework, showing that the policy toolbox from which governments choose their implementation instruments is not shrinking but merely changing to adapt to Canada’s changing realities and priorities.

Keywords: Canadian public policy, Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business, policy toolbox

Download the PDF here.

Growing Crises of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and Chronic Mental Illnesses Among Prison Populations in Canada: Implications for Policy Prescriptions ith a Special Focus on Aboriginal Inmates
Author: Mamneet Manghera

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections, and mental disorders are diseases that run rampant in Canadian correctional facilities, particularly among Aboriginal inmates. The current response by the prison authorities to curb the prevalence of these illnesses among prisoners is insufficient and several recommendations are presented in this paper to more effectively address the crisis.

Keywords: Canadian public policy, prison populations, Aboriginal inmates, HIV/AIDs, Hepatitis C, mental illness

Download the PDF here.

The Consolidation of Aid: Reducing Fragmentation in Canadian Development Assistance
Author: Jonathan Paterson

This paper analyzes current Canadian policy regarding fragmentation, highlighting Canada’s failure to reach its target to direct 80 percent of Canadian aid to 20 focus countries and the causes of that policy failure. In response, several policy routes for improvement are put forward, focusing on the Netherlands as a model for addressing fragmentation.

Keywords: Canadian foreign aid policy, aid fragmentation, aid consolidation, focus countries, Canadian Official Development Assistance

Download the PDF here.

The Child as Investment: An Analysis of Manitoba's Discourse on Child Care
Author: Sarah Whiteford

This paper offers a critical analysis of the language employed in the Government of Manitoba’s child care policy from 1999 to 2013, examining whether it can be maintained that there is an official child care discourse suggestive of the Social Investment State (SIS) model. The analysis demonstrates the prevalence of SIS language and suggests that non-reflective perpetuation of discourse on the part of policy makers presents risks to effective policy development.

Keywords: Manitoba, child care policy, Social Investment State model, discourse analysis

Download the PDF here.