Former BlackBerry co-CEO Jim Balsillie.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Re A tale of two economies and two headlines (Feb. 24): Jim Balsillie couldn't be more prescient. Educating all levels about the importance of doing more to protect Canada's intellectual property is a necessary part of growing our standard of living. According to the latest World Economic Forum report, Canada ranks well below its peers such as the United States, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland in terms of patent applications per population.
These highly successful innovative countries, Mr. Balsillie states, "prey on our creative talent." Strong words. These companies then craft a value-added production economy that exports products. Canada needs to do a better job at its "crafting" and even "preying" to diversify its economy. This is the larger issue.
The oil-price drop has focused Alberta's attention on diversification and not for the first time. Equally, if not more importantly, is that the same issue applies to Canada as a whole. Canada, as Mr. Balsillie puts it, has a "commercialization gap" and our ability to craft value-added products is the most important step to diversification.
Mr. Balsillie, ex-RIM, would know; nothing happens unless there is a strong will at the top. So far, this leadership at the federal and provincial levels of government has been lacking. The singular image as an "energy super power" is not conducive to diversification.
Paul White, Toronto
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Let us choose how we want save
Re Why we can't afford to raise the TFSA contribution limit (Feb. 26): I didn't expect Rob Carrick to be jumping on the Harper bandwagon to assist in reducing Canadians' expectations of the government fulfilling a commitment to double the TFSA contribution room. We all get that tax-saving programs cost the government coffers, but helping save for retirement helps all Canadians and costs the government less in the long run if there is less CPP and OAS to be paid since there are clawback provisions.
Rather than focus on contribution room for the TFSA, why not give Canadians a chance to decide how they want to save for retirement or other needs? An annual cumulative contribution amount could be set to equal the maximum for both RRSPs and TFSAs. Canadians could then use their individual contribution room as best suits their individual needs and contribute up to the annual set maximum to either plan or, alternatively, split it as they choose between both plans.
Gerald Williams, Edmonton
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