Allan A. Warrack

Privatization of state enterprise: policy drivers and lessons learned

Government’s continuum of policy instrument choices historically has included nationalization of enterprise. Today, the additional choice exists of the privatization of state enterprises. Canada is examined as a country in the process of switching from growing state enterprises (Crown corporation) to privatizing them. Although ideology, accountability, efficiency and/or financing were all reasons for creating state enterprise ‐ financing is the most prevalent driver of privatization.

Plant-Location Model Suboptimization for Large Problems

O PERATIONAL constraints of the Stollsteimer long-run spatial model have been severe. The data input requirements are large. More serious, for all but small problems the optimization tends to be computationally demanding to the point of infeasibility. The purpose of this paper is to enlarge the scope of problem for which the basic computational model can be used. Specifically, an algorithm is suggested that operationalizes the Stollsteimer model for plant location problems where a large number of plants may enter the optimum solution.

Alberta Heritage Fund: Blessing Becoming Curse?

The current paper examines the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund (AHF). Has it been a blessing or a curse? Blessings are not automatic. Whether energy revenues become a curse, or not, depends on leadership and management. It seems to be especially difficult to prevent early blessings from lapsing into longer-term curses. Yet surely it is within human wit to sustain the blessings. From experience with the Alberta Heritage Savings and Trust Fund, and comparisons with the much more successful Alaska Permanent Fund, a set of lessons are offered.