Towards a more diversified Canada: economic arguments for re-confederation

Abstract: In the ongoing Canadian debate on confederation, variations across the country are almost invariably viewed as conditions that must be removed or at best tolerated. This paper provides an alternative view and model of confederation that builds on portfolio notions of diversification. Here, instead of seeing regional differences as barriers to a strong confederation, we envision building solidly on these differences and encouraging regions to differentiate themselves. Canada's diverse regions might then realize futures that are most appropriate to their resource endowments and human aspirations and that at the same time improve the economic growth and growth-volatility characteristics of the nation as a whole. Regions might pursue their comparative advantages rather than having to forego their distinctness in striving for a “national mean” - a mean all too frequently defined by values at the centre of economic and political power. The ensuing discussion expands this argument and applies it using two specific examples: securities regulation and housing policy. The paper concludes with some suggestions for instituting a more differentiated, diversified and decentralized form of confederation. Sommaire: Dans le cadre du debat perpetuel sur la confédération au Canada, on con-sidère presque toujours que les variations qui existent à travers le pays doivent être éliminées ou, au mieux, tolérées. Dans cet article, on présente un autre modèle de confédération qui s'inspire de la notion de diversification du portefeuille. Au lieu d'envisager les differences régionales comme autant d'obstacles s'opposant à une confédération forte, on veut bâtir du solide sur ces differences et encourager les régions à se différencier entre elles. Les régions variées du Canada seraient alors à même de suivre le cherninement le mieux adaptéà leurs richesses naturelles et aux aspirations de leurs populations, tout en améliorant les paramétres de croissance et de volatilité de la croissance de la nation toute entiére. Les régions poursuivraient alors leurs avantages comparatifs, au lieu d'abandonner leurs traits distinctifs pour tendre vers une moyenne, nationale trop souvent tributaire de valeurs situées au centre du pouvoir économique et politique. On élargit ensuite cet argument et on l'applique au moyen de deux exemples concrets: la réglementation des valeurs mobilières et la politique sur le logement. En conclusion, l'article offre quelques suggestions pour quel'on adopte une confédération plus différenciée, plus diversifiée et plus décentralisée.     

Development of a Real‐Time PCR‐Based Method for Analyzing Semen‐Specific Unmethylated DNA Regions and Methylation Status in Aged Body Fluid Stains

The detection of semen in forensic investigation is considered important evidence of sexual assault. In this study, we report the development of a real‐time polymerase chain reaction‐based method for identifying semen that can simply and rapidly analyze the semen‐specific unmethylated region of the DACT1 gene. Using two fluorescent probes designed for the methylated or unmethylated status, this method could perform quantitative analysis of the methylation status in this region. Furthermore, this method was used to analyze various body fluid samples, including 29‐year‐old semen and blood stains. The results showed that this method can detect almost exclusively semen or nonsemen signals even in highly decomposed samples, while a few semen or nonsemen samples showed slight signals of the other fluorescence probe. Although there is still a need for further analysis such as setting thresholds to analyze unknown samples, this method could be a useful supplementary tool for identifying semen, especially in old stains such as those in cold‐case investigations.