Macdonald–Laurier Institute


The Macdonald–Laurier Institute is an independent and non-partisan think tank located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Managing Director of MLI is Brian Lee Crowley who founded the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, which is located in Atlantic Canada.
Founded in 2010, the institute is named after two of Canada's earliest and most recognizable political leaders: Sir John A. Macdonald was Canada's first prime minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier was the country's first French-Canadian prime minister. MLI is as a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency.
The institute has a board of directors and an internal advisory board that select themes and submit its research for external review. The institute derives its financial support from corporate and individual donors, as well as and private foundation funding sources.

Publishing

Since opening its doors in March 2010, MLI has produced papers offering its perspective on crime statistics, aboriginal post-secondary education, inter-provincial trade, and prison radicalization. In addition, study series have been initiated in the areas of Canada's founding ideas and the creation of a national security strategy for Canada such as the series on Aboriginal Canada and the Natural Resource Economy Series. The institute also published a policy paper reviewing mortgage insurance in Canada.
The organisation also publishes irregular shorter papers that they refer to as Commentaries. These provide commentaries on a range of topics including Democracy and the Public Interest, Prison Radicalization, Keeping the US–Canada Border Open, Canadian Manufacturing, Corporate Income Taxes, Honouring Sacrifice, MLI Report Card on the Government Response to Human Smuggling, The Western Alliance: A Moral Superpower or Nothing, The International Court of Justice advisory Opinion on Kosovo's Declaration of Independence: What does it mean for Quebec's Sovereigntist Movement?, Seniors, Population Ageing and the Future of Canada, Why is Good Policy Toxic Politics?, Why Aiding Pakistan Matters, and The 'Sun Sea' Tamil Mass Refugee Claim: An Opportunity for Needed Reforms.
MLI also published its first book in May 2010. Titled The Canadian Century: Moving out of America’s Shadow, the book appeared on the best-seller lists of the Montreal Gazette.

Impact

The Macdonald–Laurier Institute has generated substantial media coverage of its publications, public policy ideas and opinions during its time in operation. Contributors and staff have appeared in national and regional news media comment on a variety of national issues. The Institute maintains a list of media information on its web site. Of note are Op-Eds that have appeared in Canada's national newspapers, the Globe and Mail and National Post, as well as in the Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald, Windsor Star, Moncton Times-Transcript, Halifax Chronicle-Herald and more. The Institute has also been highlighted in Foreign Policy magazine, the Wall Street Journal and The Economist in its first year.

OrganisationFrom the MLI web site http://www.macdonaldlaurier.ca/about/who-is-involved/ www.macdonaldlaurier.ca/about/who-is-involved

Board of directors

Books

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Alejandro Chafuen, former president of the Atlas Network and current president of the Acton Institute, praised MLI in a 2012 Forbes article describing the market-oriented think tank landscape in Canada. The social democratic Broadbent Institute referred to the MacDonald-Laurier Institute as a "right-wing charity" in a 2018 article and MLI was described as similarly-minded to the Fraser Institute in a 2012 National Post article.