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The Swedish health care sector expanded rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, the nation experienced budget deficits and increasing problems with long line-ups. It became evident that global budgets and a lack of incentives to be efficient caused problems that needed to be addressed. Although the health care system continues to be publicly financed, the views regarding who should provide health care are shifting in favour of private caregivers. This shift started with patients outraged by poor treatment and long line-ups, as well as with hospital staff frustrated with low wages and poor working conditions. Swedish taxpayers, who pay the highest taxes in the world, were not impressed with rising health care costs and the possibility of increases in taxes to cover these costs. By the early 1990s, it was time for a major restructuring of the system. This report focuses on Greater Stockholm, where most of the restructuring initiatives have been implemented to increase accessibility, competition, and patient choice.

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The privatization of liquor retailing in Alberta was announced on September 2, 1993, and was completed on March 5, 1994. Over nine years have now passed since liquor retailing in Alberta was privatized, and there have been major changes in the number of stores selling liquor products (which are defined to include all beverage alcohol products), the product selection available at the wholesale and retail levels, and the number of people employed in liquor stores and their wages.

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In its release of 2001 Census data earlier this month, Statistics Canada reported a growing reliance on immigration as a source of skills and knowledge. The covering statement goes on to note that recent immigrants represented 70 percent of total labour force growth over the past decade and could account for virtually all labour force growth by 2011 (Statistics Canada, 2003).

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The provision of welfare and related services is one of the most sensitive activities government undertakes. Welfare recipients often face difficult situations involving serious problems-job loss, disability, marital breakdown-and they need assistance to tide them over for a short period of time until they are self-sufficient again. In many instances, individuals and families return to independence after a short duration on welfare. To extend assistance beyond this point may seem easier and more compassionate in the short-term, but it is detrimental in the long run. Those providing welfare and related services must ensure that those in need of assistance get it in a timely and supportive manner while ensuring that the system does not become a permanent source of support.

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When a part-time student enrolls in just one course in a British Columbia public high school, the Ministry of Education provides a "Basic Allocation" operating grant of $3,339 to that school's district.

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Since 1997, The Fraser Institute has conducted an annual survey of metal mining companies to assess how mineral endowments and public policy factors such as taxation and regulation affect exploration investment. Survey results represent the opinions of exploration managers in mining companies operating around the world. As the popularity of the survey has grown, we have expanded it to include more jurisdictions. We now ask companies to give us their opinions about the investment attractiveness of 45 jurisdictions including the Canadian provinces and territories (except Prince Edward Island), selected US states (this year Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming), Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Columbia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. We look forward to including other jurisdictions of interest to respondents to further reflect the globalization of mining in the years to come.

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The movement in North America to preserve natural areas and wildlife species has embraced the new crisis discipline of conservation biology.