Brian Lee Crowley

As one of the leading health care thinkers in the country, Brian walks his audience through the key drivers of health care reform in the 21st century, and concludes that a reformed Canadian health care system will be vastly different from the status quo, as well as from what is going on in the United States.

Few issues trouble Canadians as much as relations with Aboriginal peoples, and few issues seem so intractable. As a result of Brian’s work with Aboriginal leaders, industry and governments, however, he is an optimist that a new deal with Aboriginal peoples is not only possible, its outlines can already be glimpsed in the new deals over resource development being struck across the country.

Brian lays out a compelling case why the supposed conflict between economic growth and environmental protection is a false one. Instead, by understanding the contribution that growth makes to environmental sustainability, Canadians will be able to see that they can lead the world in balancing the needs of a natural resource economy and every Canadian’s wish to live in an environmentally responsible way.

Canada is incredibly blessed with an incomparable natural resource endowment. That natural wealth, though, does not explain our success, for many other countries have natural resources but live in poverty and dysfunction. Canada’s great success lies in the marriage of resources and well-functioning institutions. Brian explains why there is no conflict between manufacturing and resources, why natural resources are a powerful explanation of Canada’s success, but also why that success is challenged by the undermining of the certainty our institutions used to confer: well understood and accepted approval process, the rule of law, clear ownership of resources. Canada can continue to enjoy prosperity, but only if it takes orderly and thoughtful steps to re-establish the success of our courts, our politics and our bureaucracy.