September 14, 2021 | 9 min. 51 sec. | Matin sans frontières (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
August 23, 2021 | 13 min. 53 sec. | Midi Pile (CKYK-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
March 3, 2021 | 25 min. 46 sec. | C’est encore mieux l’après-midi (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior […]
January 28, 2021 | 32 min. 48 sec. | Pénélope (Ici Radio-Canada) Debate (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
January 27, 2021 | 12 min. 21 sec. | Danielle Smith Show (Global Radio) Interview with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
October 2, 2020 | 6 min. 05 sec. | Matins sans frontières (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
September 12, 2020 | 10 min. 20 sec. | Roy Green Show (Global News Radio) Interview with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
It seems increasingly absurd to maintain that no new pipeline should be built on Quebec land.
September 9, 2020 | 9 min. | Mario Dumont (QUB Radio) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at the […]
July 15, 2020 | 7 min. 58 sec. | Matins sans frontières (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
Le triste spectacle du projet Coastal GasLink devrait servir de mise en garde sévère contre l’attribution d’un droit de veto émanant d’une application concrète de la Déclaration des Nations unies sur les droits des peuples autochtones (DNUDPA).
For several years, there has been talk of electrifying the entire Quebec economy. This Montreal Economic Institute publication presents the province’s energy profile, quantifies its hydroelectric potential, and identifies natural gas as a realistic solution for meeting our energy needs.
April 30, 2020 | 7 min. 50 sec. | Le Bilan (BLVD 102.1) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
March 15, 2020 | 14 min. 04 sec. | Que Québec se lève (FM93) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
March 10, 2020 | 10 min. 11 sec. | Matins sans frontières (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
February 26, 2020 | 14 min. 15 sec. | Midi Pile (CKYK-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
February 25, 2020 | 12 min. | Politiquement incorrect – Richard Martineau (QUB Radio) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
Le gouvernement fédéral doit annoncer d’ici la fin de février s’il donne ou non son feu vert au projet Frontier. Ceux qui se préoccupent de l’avenir économique et environnemental du Canada devraient l’appuyer.
Ottawa has the prices of drugs in its sights. On the one hand, it has made changes to the calculation method for the price ceilings imposed on drugs sold in Canada. On the other, the idea of national government pharmacare to replace the provinces’ mixed plans is still in the air. These ill-advised public policies could actually raise total health care spending, while threatening Canadians’ access to the best available treatments, shows this publication by the MEI.
January 16, 2020 | 11 min. 45 sec. | Midi Pile (Radio X 95.7) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
December 16, 2019 | 6 min. 16 sec. | Écoutez l’Estrie (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
December 11, 2019 | 20 min. 10 sec. | Danielle Smith Show (Global Radio) Interview with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
November 12, 2019 | 14 min. 55 sec. | Danielle Smith Show (Global Radio) Interview with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
October 23, 2019 | 14 min. 17 sec. | L’heure de pointe Toronto/Windsor (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior […]
Debate (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at the MEI, about the abolition of school boards by the Quebec government. Broadcast on October 1st, 2019, on the LCN Network.
August 30, 2019 | 9 min. 19 sec. | Que la Mauricie se lève! (FM 106,9) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, […]
August 20, 2019 | 13 min. 01 sec. | Matins sans frontières (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
Should we allow the importation of drugs from Canada into the United States?
Montrealers may soon suffer the “unintended consequences” of two municipal policies likely to produce effects that are just the opposite of their stated purpose. This is in line with a dynamic that is well known to economists but often overlooked by politicians.
The inefficiency of carbon pricing systems in Canada.
July 6, 2019 | 15 min. 14 sec. | Roy Green Show (Global News Radio) Interview with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
July 4, 2019 | 18 min. 14 sec. | Danielle Smith (Global News Radio) Interview with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
July 4, 2019 | 43 min. 03 sec. | Isabelle (98,5 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
July 4, 2019 | 11 min. 45 sec. | The Geoff Currier Show (Global News Radio) Interview with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
July 4, 2019 | 19 min. 25 sec. | Boulevard du Pacifique (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
July 4, 2019 | 12 min. 07 sec. | La croisée (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
The inefficiency of carbon pricing systems in Canada.
Since the 1920s and the work of A.C. Pigou, economists have generally agreed that imposing a price on pollution emissions is the most efficient way to reduce those emissions while minimizing the drawbacks associated with interventions aiming to limit pollution. This way of doing things usually yields better results than regulation or other government interventions that do not rely on market mechanisms.
June 22, 2019 | 17 min. 10 sec. | The Roy Green Show (Global News Radio) Interview with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
June 6, 2019 | 11 min. 57 sec. | Ségal le midi (FM93) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
May 15, 2019 | 8 min. 50 sec. | Maurais Live (CHOI-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
Premier-elect Jason Kenney’s outstretched hand should not be ignored by Quebec.
Premier-elect Jason Kenney’s outstretched hand should not be ignored by Quebec.
April 15, 2019 | 10 min. 51 sec. | Nathalie le midi (BLVD-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
Presentation by Vincent Geloso, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, King’s University College, and Associate Researcher at the MEI, and Germain Belzile, Senior Lecturer, HEC Montréal, and Senior Associate Researcher at the MEI, as part of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, in Quebec City.
The inefficiency of subsidy programs for the purchase of electric cars.
The inefficiency of subsidy programs for the purchase of electric cars.
March 28, 2019 | 13 min. | Dutrizac de 6 à 9 (QUB radio) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
Why is the government unable to fix its computer bugs?
How to Modernize the Taxi Industry.
How to Modernize the Taxi Industry.
In Quebec, as in many other places in the world, a permit is required to provide taxi services. For a long time, this has led to a lack of competition and the resulting effects. The Quebec government will soon table a bill to modernize the taxi industry. On which principles should new regulation be based if it is also to serve as a framework for future innovations in the sector?
February 13, 2019 | 12 min. 20 sec. | Nathalie le midi (BLVD-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
Quebec Premier François Legault has often stated his desire to attract foreign investment into the province and to increase Quebecers’ standard of living. An essential precondition for this is to create an economic environment that is more favourable to productivity growth, considered by economists to be the main determinant of rising living standards in the long term. This can be achieved by reducing the amount of room taken up by the government in the economy, through a decrease in public spending.
January 23, 2019 | 7 min. 23 sec. | Nathalie le midi (BLVD-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
January 23, 2019 | 10 min. 47 sec. | Bouchard en parle (FM93) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
The negligible impact of Quebec’s emissions on the global climate.
January 17, 2019 | 9 min. 15 sec. | Jérôme Landry au retour (CHIK-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
January 17, 2019 | 14 min. 50 sec. | Ségal-Lavoie le midi (FM93) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
The negligible impact of Quebec’s emissions on the global climate.
The Quebec government has on many occasions signalled its commitment to fighting climate change. The province has set several targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, aiming to have them disappear almost completely by 2050. Yet Quebec’s share of global GHG emissions is so tiny that achieving the provincial objectives would have an insignificant impact on the evolution of the temperature of the planet.
Many indigenous communities support resource development.
January 7, 2019 | 10 min. 33 sec. | Ségal-Lavoie le midi (FM93) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
Quebecers prefer oil from Western Canada.
December 19, 2018 | 10 min. | Maurais Live (CHOI-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at the MEI, […]
Quebecers prefer oil from Western Canada.
December 19, 2018 | 11 min. 50 sec. | Nathalie le midi (BLVD-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
December 19, 2018 | 16 min. 26 sec. | Boulevard du Pacifique (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
December 12, 2018 | 10 min. 28 sec. | Le Mid (KYK Radio X) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
December 12, 2018 | 15 min. 27 sec. | Ségal-Lavoie le midi (FM93) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
December 12, 2018 | 19 min. 30 sec. | Nathalie le midi (BLVD) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
Carbon taxation and ways to achieve GHG reduction goals.
Carbon taxation and ways to achieve GHG reduction goals.
December 6, 2018 | 16 min. 15 sec. | Ségal-Lavoie le midi (FM93) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
Many indigenous communities support resource development.
Expectations regarding the “Pacte pour la transition.”
Many indigenous communities support resource development.
November 13, 2018 | 9 min. 39 sec. | Boulevard du Pacifique (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
November 12, 2018 | 7 min. 44 sec. | Des matins en or (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior […]
Many indigenous communities support resource development.
The media often convey the impression that First Nations wish to earn a living from traditional activities alone and have little interest in the development of their communities. Yet while some oppose mining and forestry or the building of energy infrastructure, others favour such development and wish to take advantage of the resulting wealth and jobs. This paper focuses on cases where First Nations decided to become involved in the development of resources on their territory, and on the benefits they derived from this involvement.
The state’s hold on the economy and its consequences.
The failures of the legalization of cannabis in Quebec.
The value of canceled energy projects in this country.
The ineffectiveness of the governmental approval process for energy projects.
In recent years, numerous national energy projects have been cancelled or substantially delayed in Canada due to the ineffectiveness of the governmental approval process. This situation is alarming, given the contribution of the energy sector to the Canadian economy, but also our loss of competitiveness relative to our main trading partner. Indeed, the United States has put in place a series of reforms aimed at reducing the regulatory burden for businesses, while here, we are heading in the opposite direction.
What should be the economic priority of the CAQ government?
October 2, 2018 | 9 min. 34 sec. | Matins sans frontières (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
What financial frameworks reveal.
September 6, 2018 | 43 min. 46 sec. | Isabelle (98,5 FM) Interview & Phone in show (in French) with Germain Belzile, […]
The alarmist concept of economic decline.
Canada is stagnating or even losing ground in terms of competitiveness.
Canada is stagnating or even losing ground in terms of competitiveness.
Withdrawing from the cap-and-trade program will not be complicated.
Imposing a price on carbon through cap-and-trade will have a negligible effect on GHG emissions.
Canadian provinces do not practice free trade among themselves.
June 18, 2018 | 12 min. 35 sec. | 100% Normandeau (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
Imposing a price on carbon through cap-and-trade will have a negligible effect on GHG emissions.
Imposing a price on carbon through cap-and-trade will have a negligible effect on GHG emissions.
Tensions surrounding Canadian international trade.
June 13, 2018 | 12 min. 20 sec. | L’heure de pointe – Toronto (Ici Radio-Canada Toronto) Interview (in French) with Germain […]
June 13, 2018 | 14 min. 50 sec. | Midi Pile (Radio X Saguenay) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
A carbon market, like a carbon tax, aims to modify behaviours in order to reduce GHG emissions by setting a price for them. Although such mechanisms are regularly mentioned in the news, their economic consequences are less often discussed, to say nothing of their effectiveness. Does imposing a price on carbon always reduce emissions, or does it instead displace them, along with the accompanying economic activity? In the two scenarios examined here, the effect on GHG emissions would be negligible, but the economic impact would be significant.
June 8, 2018 | 9 min. 29 sec. | Boulevard du Pacifique (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
April 30, 2018 | 5 min. 38 sec. | 100% Normandeau (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
The PQ is proposing to have the government fill out all tax returns ahead of time.
Opposition to carbon taxation is growing.
Opposition to carbon taxation is growing.
March 29, 2018 | 13 min. 55 sec. | Drainville (98,5 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher, about […]
March 21, 2018 | 38 min. | Isabelle (98,5 FM) Phone in show (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
Subsidies for electric vehicles.
The probability of a trade war is high.
March 12, 2018 | 24 min. 52 sec. | Isabelle (98,5 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
The Trans Mountain project involved in a trade dispute.
The Trans Mountain project involved in a trade dispute.
The problem with health care and education is not the lack of resources.
The problem with health care and education is not the lack of resources.
In November 2017, Quebec announced a $1.1-billion personal income tax reduction. Some argued then that the reason the government could afford to reduce the tax burden was that it had reduced spending on health and education, and that these sectors had been starved by years of successive cuts. However, both health care spending and education spending have increased considerably in recent years.
February 1st, 2018 | 16 min. 18 sec. | La Commission Gendron (Énergie Québec) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
February 1st, 2018 | 14 min. 11 sec. | Québec aujourd’hui (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
February 1st, 2018 | 11 min. 49 sec. | Jérôme Landry au retour (Énergie Québec) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior […]
The city of Montreal has tabled its 2018 budget.
The city of Montreal has tabled its 2018 budget.
The ambitious goal of reducing Québec’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at the MEI, on Quebec farmers wanting to defend the value of their land. Broadcast on December 15, 2017, on LCN’s Mario Dumont.
The principle of the single school tax rate by region.
December 11, 2017 | 11 min. 31 sec. | L’heure de pointe – Toronto (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, […]
The Supreme Court of Canada’s examination of the Comeau case.
The Supreme Court of Canada’s examination of the Comeau case.
December 5, 2017 | 12 min. 23 sec. | Sophie sans compromis (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior […]
November 28, 2017 | 11 min. 17 sec. | Bouchard en parle (FM93) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
Is money better spent by the state than by parents?
Eliminating electricity production from coal.
November 22, 2017 | 16 min. 25 sec. | Maurais Live (CHOI-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
Quebec has just reduced personal taxes by $ 1.2 billion.
Eliminating electricity production from coal.
The effects for Canada of a possible decrease in corporate taxes in the United States.
The notion of social acceptability needs to be better defined.
Energy investment is booming in the United States.
Our productivity is growing at an anemic rate.
October 19, 2017 | 8 min. 24 sec. | Radio-Canada International Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at the […]
Canada’s oil and natural gas sector is currently going through hard times. Donald Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly promised to improve the business environment in the United States by reducing the tax and regulatory burden, especially as it affects this sector. As Canada’s competitiveness in oil and gas development depends almost entirely on its position relative to that of its powerful neighbour, it is important to understand what is going on right now in the United States and the effects of U.S. policy on our economy.
The Quebec Government’s Green Fund is an enormous waste of money.
Canada’s Oil and Gas Sector at Risk?
Canada’s Oil and Gas Sector at Risk?
Subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles.
Ecologists and the emergence of an oil and gas industry in Quebec.
The Uber saga and the message that the government sends to entrepreneurs.
September 25, 2017 | 4 min. 30 sec. | Midi info (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
Ecologists and the emergence of an oil and gas industry in Quebec.
The province of Quebec and the recent statistics on household incomes.
Interview with Germain Belzile on the increase of public spending in education. Broadcast on CTV News at Noon with Mutsumi Takahashi on September 6, 2017.
August 30, 2017 | 11 min. 31 sec. | La Commission Gendron (Énergie Québec) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
This spring, the Quebec government announced additional spending on education. These new expenditures are on top of the substantial increases seen over the past ten years. Is this viable over the long term? Have students benefited from this augmented spending? And are there other solutions that would give taxpayers more for their money?
Expenditures on education versus results.
Expenditures on education versus results.
The government is encouraging GHG emissions.
Do we need a professional order for teachers?
The unemployment rate in Quebec.
The AVÉQ vs. electric vehicle subsidies.
Electric vehicle subsidies.
July 26, 2017 | 9 min. 50 sec. | Maurais Live (CHOI-FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at […]
July 25, 2017 | 37 min. 22 sec. | Duhaime le midi (FM93) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
July 25, 2017 | 29 min. 4 sec. | Martin Pouliot à BLVD (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, […]
July 25, 2017 | 4 min. 21 sec. | Puisqu’il faut se lever (98,5FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
The Quebec government has set itself the ambitious task of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 37.5% below their 1990 levels by 2030. In order to reach this target, important policy efforts have been devoted to the transportation sector, which accounts for 43% of total emissions. At the forefront of such efforts are electric vehicle subsidies. But starting with their 2018 models, carmakers will now also be faced with electric and hybrid vehicle sales quotas. This is a tax in all but name, which will disproportionately increase prices of conventional vehicles.
Electric vehicle subsidies.
Electric vehicle subsidies.
July 13, 2017 | 17 min. 40 sec. | Martin Pouliot à BLVD (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, […]
For thirty years, the Quebec health care system has experienced multiple systemic problems, especially in terms of long emergency room wait times, and long delays for surgeries as well. Not only has the Health Department been unable to plan the long-term development of the system in such a way as to put an end to these problems once and for all; it also seems unable to allocate resources efficiently when the unexpected occurs. What is so different about the health care sector? And what can be done about it?
The perils of centralized health care.
The perils of centralized health care.
Quebecers and their health care system.
The Bank of Canada announces an increase in its key rate.
Oil production in Alberta and its benefits.
Oil production in Alberta and its benefits.
June 26, 2017 | 39 min. 43 sec. | Isabelle (98,5FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at the […]
Programs aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by subsidizing electric cars.
Interview with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at the MEI, on the subject of Electric Vehicle Subsidies. Broadcast on June 22, 2017, on CBC’s On the Money.
Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at the MEI, on the subject of Electric Vehicle Subsidies. Broadcast on June 22, 2017, on LCN’s Mario Dumont.
June 22, 2017 | 13 min. 21 sec. | Québec aujourd’hui (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
Ontario and Quebec have set ambitious targets aimed at reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs), respectively 37% and 37.5% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The transportation sector is crucial for achieving these ambitious targets, since it represents over a third of the emissions of each province. These have therefore decided to implement, among other things, subsidies to electric vehicles. But is this injection of public funds the best use of our money?
Programs aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by subsidizing electric cars.
Quebec's credit rating upgraded.
Sweden, and how it provides better access to care.
June 15, 2017 | 11 min. 54 sec. | 100% Normandeau (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
The Quebec government wants to centralize the health care system even more with Bill 130, giving the Health Minister more power over administrators and over the management and operation of hospitals. The government would be better off following the example of Sweden, which has successfully moved in the opposite direction, in addition to benefiting from the contribution of the private sector.
Publication of 2 surveys on the attractiveness of Canadian oil in the world.
Publication of 2 surveys on the attractiveness of Canadian oil in the world.
Should we be concerned about the trade deficits of countries?
Should we be concerned about the trade deficits of countries?
Since the 1970s, farms in the dairy, poultry, and egg sectors have been subject to supply management, a system which combines production quotas, price controls, and import barriers to increase the prices of goods produced by these farms. The negative effects of this system for consumers have been studied in depth, and there is now a broad consensus regarding their existence and amplitude. The question of compensating farmers in order to abolish this regime remains an open one.
May 25, 2017 | 8 min. 29 sec. | 100% Normandeau (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
May 17, 2017 | 9 min. 49 sec. | Québec aujourd'hui (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
May 15, 2017 | 16 min. 09 sec. | 100% Normandeau (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
Cost versus effectiveness of Quebec's Green Fund.
May 9, 2017 | 9 min. 41 sec. | 100% Normandeau (BLVD 102.1 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
Small retailers should be allowed to import and sell wine freely, without going through the SAQ.
Supreme Court agrees to hear appeal of cross-border booze case.
Ontario is moving forward with a pilot project for a basic income program.
May 2, 2017 | 8 min. 24 sec. | Matins sans frontières (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
April 29, 2017 | 7 min. 17 sec. | Faut pas croire tout ce qu'on dit (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with […]
April 27, 2017 | 25 min. 28 sec. | Isabelle (98,5FM) Phone in show (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
April 27, 2017 | 11 min. 51 sec. | Québec aujourd'hui (BLVD 120.1FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
The Quebec government is currently studying various ways of ending the SAQ’s monopoly. The Crown corporation has indeed been the target of multiple criticisms over the years, as much for the prices of its products as for its management and efficiency. Another, less frequently heard but nonetheless important criticism is the lack of space the public monopoly leaves for small entrepreneurs. This latter concern should guide the government in its reflections on the liberalization of the alcohol market.
Small retailers should be allowed to import and sell wine freely, without going through the SAQ.
Quebec promises to ease rules around volunteering.
The CNTU has decide to cut spending and lay off workers.
The lack of a clear, agreed-upon definition of social licence is a threat.
April 7, 2017 | 9 min. 05 sec. | L'heure de pointe Toronto (Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
The 2017-2018 provincial budget, the austerity and the debt.
In the coming days, the Quebec government will unveil its 2017-2018 budget plan. For the 2016 fiscal year, it has so far accumulated a budget surplus of $2.3 billion. One of the Liberal Party’s electoral promises was to allocate half of surpluses to tax reductions. This would be most welcome, since as shown in this Viewpoint, taxes and contributions to the public treasury have been on the rise since the beginning of the decade.
Comparing the numerous taxes and contributions that have gone up in Quebec in recent years with the short list of reductions.
Comparing the numerous taxes and contributions that have gone up in Quebec in recent years with the short list of reductions.
What is the difference between investment and current expenditure?
The phenomenon of ghost public employees in Quebec.
Regulating ride sharing companies in Vancouver.
The federal government should withdraw from the health sector.
The lack of a clear, agreed-upon definition of social licence is a threat.
The lack of a clear, agreed-upon definition of social licence is a threat.
The criterion of social licence is a part of every debate surrounding economic development projects, especially when these include impacts on local communities or on the environment. And yet, this new concept is poorly understood, and mentioned nowhere in the law. Certain controversial projects, like pipelines or uranium mines, illustrate the potential pitfalls of social licence and remind us that the demands of some players frequently go beyond this framework.
The federal government should withdraw from the health sector.
Since last fall, the Canadian health care system has once again become a source of bickering. The federal government, which is a significant funder of the provinces’ health programs, wants to limit the rate of increase of its transfers and force provinces to spend on specific areas like mental health and home care. The territories and certain provinces have bowed to pressure from Ottawa, but four of the five most populous provinces are still refusing the federal offer. While it is political in nature, economic analysis of this conflict can provide some useful insights.
The federal government should withdraw from the health sector.
Is free trade good for all?
February 10, 2017 | 14 min. 20 sec. | Le Tour d'Horizon (92,7FM-Ottawa) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher, […]
Health care funding in Canada.
February 6, 2017 | 6 min. 15 sec. | Québec Aujourd'hui (BLVD 102.1) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher […]
The concepts of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
The concepts of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are two widely used concepts. Corporate and government actions are partly judged according to them. Activists, politicians, and corporate leaders use them. But what exactly do they mean? Are they compatible with efficient management in a free society? To what extent are they even useful? This Economic Note will shed some light on these questions.
January 19, 2017 | 13 min. 05 sec. | Martineau-Trudeau (Radio X) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher, Current […]
The integration of the North American automotive industry jeopardized.
Donald Trump’s recent statements regarding the investments of auto industry giants and vehicle imports from Mexico have created significant uncertainty in Canada. His threat to impose tariffs at the U.S.-Mexico border to protect the American auto industry raises the possibility that Canada might also be affected by such a measure. If this were to happen, the economic consequences could be very harmful for both Americans and Canadians, since after half a century of trade liberalization, the two countries’ automotive industries are now completely integrated.
The integration of the North American automotive industry jeopardized.
Protectionism and Canada-US relations.
January 5, 2017 | 9 min. 20 sec. | L'heure de pointe Toronto (Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate […]
Quick economic overview of the last 150 years in Canada.
Christmas economic wish list.
The Réseau électrique métropolitain (REM) is experiencing a shortfall.
What keeps Quebec investment at such a low level?
Is Canada a Free Society?
The production of oil versus the necessary energy transition.
The efficiency of the Société de transport de Montréal.
November 17, 2016 | 10 min. 55 sec. | Y a pas deux matins pareils (Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, […]
Public transit and international experiences with private involvement.
October 14, 2016 | 13 min. 26 sec. | Dutrizac (98,5FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher, Current Affairs […]
Over the past few decades, the costs of public transit in Montreal have outpaced services rendered. This occurred while many municipalities around the world opted to reform their public transit systems by increasing the involvement of the private sector. This Economic Note provides an overview of the history of public transit in Montreal and of international experiences with private involvement.
Public transit and international experiences with private involvement.
September 28, 2016 | 15 min. 22 sec. | Matins sans frontières (Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher, […]
The introduction of supply management in the field of restoration.
The market for maple products in Quebec.
The taxi drivers' business model vs Uber.
Canadian protectionist policies denounced.
The taxi drivers' business model vs Uber.
The National Energy Board hearings on the Energy East pipeline project.
February 24, 2016 | 12 min. 35 sec. | Martineau (CHOI-FM) Interview (in French) with Vincent Geloso and Germain Belzile, Associate Researchers […]
Reaction to the Manifesto for a Global Movement.
March 26, 2015 | 25 min. 20 sec. | Québec 12-30 (Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Fellow at the […]
Policies designed to accelerate the transition to green energy sources are usually presented in terms of their benefits, whereas costs are rarely discussed. This Research Paper proposes to fill this gap in the public debate. It examines the costs of proposals made by the Quebec environmentalist groups Équiterre and Vivre en ville for rapidly reducing oil consumption, as well as the willingness of Quebecers and other Canadians to pay those costs.
August 18, 2014 | 15 min. | Le retour de Radio X (CHOI FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Fellow […]
Since the adoption of a law to that effect in 1917, the debt of the American federal government is subject to a “ceiling.” Barring an agreement from Congress, the current ceiling should be reached during the month of October. This is a structural problem, not a cyclical one. Even if we managed to balance revenue and spending and eliminate budget deficits, it would not spell the end of the basic imbalance in American government finances, which is due to the ever-growing financial obligations stemming from social programs.
July 19, 2013 | 4 min. 15 sec. | Y a pas deux matins pareils (Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, […]
January 29, 2013 | 7 min. 15 sec. | Isabelle Maréchal (98,5 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Fellow at […]
October 31, 2012 | 5 min. 40 sec. | Y a pas deux matins pareils (Radio-Canada, Toronto) Interview (in French) with Germain […]
Oil consumption and its production potential in Quebec.
May 3, 2012 | 6 min. | Montréal maintenant (98,5 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Fellow at the Montreal […]
May 2, 2012 | 6 min. 20 sec. | Montréal maintenant (98,5FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Senior Fellow at the […]
For many Quebecers, the effects of producing and using oil and other fossil fuels are unequivocally harmful. These sources of energy are seen as relics from the past that will soon disappear. The idea that we could do without them entirely and quickly replace them with green energy sources like wind and solar power is widespread, as is the idea that all cars could soon be electric.
Tabling of the 2012-2013 budget by the Quebec government.
The student movement is fighting a tuition fee increase.
August 11, 2011 | 6 min. 50 sec. | Bernier et cie (Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Director of Research […]
The deal adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Obama on August 2, 2011 will see the federal debt ceiling in the United States raised by at least $2.1 trillion from its current limit of $14.3 trillion. The agreement has been criticized by a number of commentators, who believe that it represents a “capitulation” to “extremists” who insist on balancing the budget without raising the fiscal burden. Yet an analysis of the agreement shows that even if all the cuts contained in it were indeed enacted, they would not prevent the U.S. federal debt from continuing to grow.
July 13, 2011 | 21 min. | Le Show du Matin (Radio X) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile is Director of […]
In recent years, the sometimes strained, sometimes fruitful relationship between Quebec and Alberta has attracted a lot of attention. The issues raised by this relationship will have undeniable impacts on Quebec's future: equalization, the division of powers between Ottawa and the provinces, the energy future, climate change, etc. Despite the importance of these questions, the relationship between Quebec and Alberta has never been the object of extensive study.
December 9, 2010 | 8 min. | Maisonneuve en direct (SRC-R) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Director of Research at the […]
December 6, 2010 | 8 min. 10 sec. | Liberté d’opinion (FM93) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Director of Research at the […]
Do the "rich" pay their fair share of taxes? This question often comes up in the media and in public and private conversations, in Quebec and elsewhere. Anecdotal evidence may give the impression that it is a simple matter for someone of means to hire a tax accountant and relieve himself of a good part of the tax burden shouldered by the ordinary citizen. To verify if this is true, we asked for the help of an expert to calculate the taxes and contributions paid by different Quebec taxpayers according to their incomes.
Publication of an Economic Note on the improvement of the efficiency of Quebec’s health care system.
Publication of an Economic Note on the improvement of the efficiency of Quebec’s health care system.
The Quebec health care system has long been a target of criticism. Since the mid-1970s, newspapers have been reporting on staff shortages, emergency room overcrowding, challenges in finding family doctors, waiting lists that keep getting longer, and so on. Optimal use of resources is vital if we wish to reduce waiting times and provide better and faster service to patients. Technological innovations, including telemedicine, are a way of improving the efficiency of the health care system and increasing the choices offered to patients. Sadly, the current government monopoly in the health care sector eliminates most natural incentives to innovate and make optimal use of resources.
August 25, 2010 | 6 min. 40 sec. | Dutrizac l’après-midi (98,5 FM) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Director of Research […]
Publication of an Economic Note on supply management policies in the taxi industry.
Supply management policies, aimed at limiting production of a good so as to inflate its price, are familiar in Canada, due in particular to the existence of agricultural quotas. It is less well known, however, that the taxi industry is also regulated in this way, with similar consequences for consumers. Just as Australia and New Zealand eliminated supply management in agriculture, a number of cities (including Kansas City, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Raleigh and San Diego in the United States) and several countries (including Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden) have done the same in the taxi sector.
Is there a housing shortage in Quebec?
Publication of an Economic Note on university financing.
In February 2004, the MEI published an Economic Note on tuition fees and their effects on access to university studies. Since then, the Quebec government announced that fees would rise cumulatively by $50 per semester from 2007 to 2012. It is still not known what policy will be adopted after 2012. To this day, Quebec tuition fees are still lower than their 1994-1995 level in real terms. This Economic Note is an update which aims to examine the university tuition fee situation in Quebec.
June 3, 2010 | 5 min. 15 sec. | Radio France internationale (RFI) Interview (in French) with Germain Belzile, Director of Research at the […]
Publication of a Viewpoint on measures for raising productivity in the public service.
The Quebec government is currently in negotiations with the public sector unions over new collective agreements for 550,000 public employees. More than 40 years after job security was instituted in the civil service and in the health care, social service and education networks, there is good reason to look into ways of improving the productivity of government employees. With a budget coming up, and with many observers predicting tax and fee increases, taxpayers are entitled to value for their money.
It is easy and tempting for politicians to let deficits soar and to dig more deeply into public debt. No country can escape this. In France, the proposed government deficit for 2010 is equal to more than one-third of gross tax revenues. The Moody’s rating agency says world sovereign debt is likely to go from 63% of world GDP in 2008 to 80% in 2010. It is essential to think twice before yielding to this easy "game." This game is dangerous. Unless public debt is brought under control, governments run the risk of leading their countries into bankruptcy.
La popularité des écoles privées au Québec n'est plus à démontrer. Elles ont connu une hausse de 14% de leurs inscriptions entre 1999 et 2004 seulement. Cette situation inquiète les gens qui ont à coeur la qualité de l'éducation offerte par les écoles publiques. On craint notamment que le secteur privé, en sélectionnant les meilleurs élèves, prive les écoles publiques de ressources financières et les laisse avec une clientèle plus difficile, désavantagée sur le plan de la réussite.