Manitoba Policy Perspectives Journal

The Manitoba Policy Perspectives (MPP) journal is a multi-disciplinary and cross-university online journal that addresses the topics of public policy, administration, and governance as it pertains to regional and national issues.
The journal strengthens the voice of Manitoba students and fosters a dialogue amongst students from various disciplines.

The September 2018 edition of Manitoba Policy Perspectives (Volume 2, Issue 1) is now available online. You can download a copy of the full issue here. This issue includes 5 papers written by students from the University of Manitoba, which can each be downloaded below:

Public Service Gone Digital
Author: Maria Gheorghe
This paper examines the development of Canadian e-government over the past 20 years. Both the problems and benefits associated with e-government are discussed. Some problems include: the standardization and implementation of e-government across governmental departments and the potential trivialization of the relationship between citizen and state. Benefits discussed include: reduced service delivery costs, ease of access, transparency, and integration among governmental departments. This paper argues that e-government projects, such as Canada’s Blueprint 2020, are worthwhile despite their challenges.
Keywords: Canadian e-government, Canadian public policy, technology policy, information and communications technology, digital divide, Blueprint 2020
Download the PDF here.

Following the Money Trail: How Canada’s Anti-Terrorism Laws Impact Charities
Author: Maria Kari
Since 9/11, Islamic charities have felt the effect of Canadian anti-terrorism laws. This paper follows the way in which anti-terrorism legislation is invoked to prevent the use of charities as vehicles for the financing of terrorism. Drawing on several cases, it is argued that current anti-terrorism law, in its broad application, overburdens legitimate charities.
Keywords: Canadian anti-terrorism law, Canadian charities, Islamic charities, anti-terrorism, Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development
Download the PDF here.

Mainstreaming Policy for Female Entrepreneurs: A Coordinated Approach
Author: Erika Thomson
Canadian women are underrepresented among small business owners. This paper applies a gender-mainstreaming (GM) framework to the Canadian government’s Women’s Enterprise Initiative (WEI), which is aimed at assisting women entrepreneurs. It is argued that a GM-based analysis reveals the need for a broad governmental response across multiple policy areas to ensure the equality and success of women entrepreneurs.
Keywords: Canadian business policy, gender mainstreaming, women entrepreneurs, gender-based analysis, deep evaluation, Women’s Enterprise Initiative
Download the PDF here.

Strict Party Discipline: Why it is Necessary for Responsible and Accountable Government
Author: Steven Yurkowski
This paper examines arguments both in favour and against greater party discipline in the Canadian context. One prominent critique of party discipline is that it sacrifices the autonomy of individual members of Parliament. This paper responds to such criticisms, provides a brief historical context to party discipline, and argues that strict party discipline is essential to preserve the responsibility and accountability of the federal government. In particular, it is argued that strict party discipline prevents the influence of unaccountable lobby groups.
Keywords: Canadian government, party discipline, responsible government, accountability, lobby groups
Download the PDF here.

Comparing Options for Routing Bipole III: What are they Key Issues?
Author: Yuan Zhou
This paper applies a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to the two routings proposed for Manitoba Hydro’s recent HVDC transmission line project: Bipole III. Relevant parties and their associated costs and benefits will be presented in detail. An argument is not made for a particular routing. Instead, the strength of this paper lies in its presentation and discussion of the methodology required to conduct a CBA of the two routings. This CBA is aimed at clarifying the decision-making process required to select the optimal Bipole III route.
Keywords: Bipole III, Manitoba Hydro, transmission line, HVDC, cost-benefit analysis, environmental assessment
Download the PDF here.