The American Economics Association (AEA) adopted guidelines for the disclosure of potential conflicts of interests by economists. Please find my disclosure information below. I also submit a Conflict of Interest Statement every February as part of our annual review process at the University of Victoria.
Academic Employment
I have been employed by the University of Victoria in the following capacities:
- Associate Professor (with tenure), 2013-
- Assistant Professor, 2007-2013
I was also employed by the University of Manitoba as an Assistant Professor (2005-2007) and McMaster University as a Sessional Instructor (2005). I was also appointed as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba, 2007 – 2011
Non-academic Professional Employment
- Research Contractor, Software Balm Consulting, 2007-
- Research Assistant , McMaster University, 2002 – 2005
- Contract Analyst, Government of Canada, 2002 – 2005
- Senior Analyst, Treasury Board Secretariat, 2001 – 2002
- Policy Advisor, Department of National Defence, 2000 – 2001
- Economist, Department of Finance, 1998 – 2000
- Research Economist, HRDC, 1997
- Teaching Assistant, University of Victoria, 1996 – 1997
- Research Assistant, University of Victoria, 1995 -1996
- Law &Risk Management Clerk, City of Gloucester, 1991 – 1993
Financial support
- University of Victoria: salary (2007-)
- Canadian Tax Foundation: funding for monograph (2012-2014)
- Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada: Standard Research Grant. (2009-2013)
Relevant paid or unpaid activity
- Ottawa Citizen, occasional contributions (paid) 2014-
- Huffington Post, occasional contributions (unpaid) 2013
- Globe and Mail Economy Lab, regular contributions (paid and unpaid), 2011-2014
- Fraser Institute, (paid) honorarium received for peer review, 2011.
- Peer review (unpaid) for many economic journals
Family conflicts of interest
To the best of my knowledge, no members of my immediate family have personal or financial relationships which would be viewed by a reasonable individual to constitute a conflict of interest with either my research or public commentary.
Asset disclosure
I do not directly hold shares of any corporation, except for Software Balm Consulting. I do hold shares in companies through broadly diversified mutual funds and investment vehicles.
My spouse holds diversified mutual funds as well as direct shares in various corporations. I have no knowledge of the shares held by my spouse or any say in the purchase or sale of these shares.
Political activity
I am currently not a member of any political party at the municipal, provincial, or federal levels. I have, in the past, been a member of a federal political party. In the 1990s, I was an active member of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
*Thanks to Kevin Milligan, UBC, and Andrew Leach, UofA, for letting me borrow form and substance from their conflict disclosure statements.
