In the Globe and Mail of December 1st, Mr. Monahan states boldly, peremptorily, that “The policy case for a single national regulator is surely overwhelming”. But it is not, far from it. His first argument, if that is what it is, has to do with the issuance of shares in all parts of Canada. Mr. […]

Being subjected to a lesson in governance by a hedge fund, as the Maple Leaf Foods Corporation has to endure, is somewhat akin to being lectured on abstinence and modesty by the residents of the Mustang Ranch bordello in Nevada. Hedge funds, more appropriately called “speculative funds” in most cases, have resisted all efforts of […]

The IGOPP, through its chairman of the board and general manager presented a brief to the Committee on Public Finance regarding Bill 123, an Act Respecting the Amalgamation of the Société Générale de Financement du Québec and Investissement Québec. This brief details the Institute’s comments on the legislation as well as a set of concrete suggestions. […]

The Canadian government blocked the company BHP-Billiton from acquiring Potash Corp, giving the would-be acquirer 30 days to improve on its offer. Why, after Alcan, Falconbridge, Inco and others would the Canadian government even consider approving this deal; because Canada, it seems, is easily intimidated when it comes to the rough game of international competition. […]

[ … ] Yvan Allaire, chairman of the board of the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations (IGPPO) and a professor emeritus at Universite du Quebec a Montreal, estimated that 13 per cent of the 253 companies on the TSX/S&P composite index in 2008 had some form of dual-class voting structure. For the […]

*(The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of IGOPP or of its board of directors) In April 1990, the Pennsylvania legislature enacted one of the strongest anti-takeover bill passed by any state. The immediate purpose of that bill was to block the Canadian Belzberg family in its attempt to acquire Armstrong World Industries, […]

(The opinions expressed in this text are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Institute or of its board of directors) Alas, the company’s magna cum laude performance as a first rate industrial concern is not matched by its performance in the shareholder business, where it deserves a severe magno cum opprobrio. […]

(This comment reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Institute or of its board of directors) It is curious, even strange, to hear the federal finance minister on May 26th 2010 repeat, like a well-trained parrot, the same lame arguments about why Canada must have a single, national, securities commission. […]

This report examines whether Say on Pay is a useful tool to ensure that executive compensation plans are designed in a way that is consistent with the firm’s best interests. It addresses five related questions: What is Say on Pay? What does Say on Pay imply about governance? What means are available to provide shareholders […]

Dr. Yvan Allaire’s presentation at the World Economic Forum 2010 – Davos summit.

THIS TEXT IS ADAPTED FROM THEIR RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK BLACK MARKETS AND BUSINESS BLUES. Capitalism, famously wrote Karl Marx, bears the seeds of its own destruction. Yet Marx was blind to capitalism’s ability to renew itself and soar, Phoenix-like. The last time this happened, after its near-death experience in the 1930s, governments had to salvage […]

According to IGOPP, the proposed Business Corporations Act (Bill 63) is a quantum leap in the right direction. It modernize and clarify some dsyfunctionnal aspaects of our business laws and legal system. Furthermore, Bill 63 introduce some useful innovations. Howewer, some modifications to the Bill would improve the chances of Québec to become a destination […]

Act to amend the General and Vocational Colleges Act with respect to Governance. For the purposes of the Parliamentary committee on the governance of the Vocational Colleges and Universities, IGOPP have submitted two memorandum stating that good governance is the best safeguard for the autonomy of the colleges and the universities : the legitimity and […]

Yvan Allaire and Mihaela Firsirotu aren’t the kind of people you would expect to find railing against the dangers of modern capitalism and proposing a major overhaul. Mr. Allaire is an emeritus professor of management and former senior executive of Bombardier Inc., while Ms. Firsirotu is a respected professor of business strategy at Université du […]

This book tells a sad tale. This is the tale of how and why the U.S. financial  system and the American  model of corporations, touted as examples for the rest of the world,  have proven fragile and destructive. It is the tale of how, over the last thirty years, financial markets became populated by funds […]

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s obsession with creating a national securities commission is becoming clearer. On Tuesday evening, he revealed the cost of the new federal infrastructure project he wishes to roll out, which comes to $154 million for 2009-2010 alone (as indicated on page 102 of the budget speech). We understand Mr. Flaherty’s commitment to […]