Montreal, July 15, 2022 – The British Columbia Court of Appeal issued a decision earlier today in the case pitting the Cambie Surgeries Corporation against the provincial government. Like the Chaoulli decision in Quebec, this case essentially turns on the freedom of choice of patients who want to be treated rapidly by health care entrepreneurs.

Montreal, June 30, 2022 – The Canada-US softwood lumber dispute that has lasted some forty years is good for neither country, MEI researchers conclude in a publication launched today. The drop in Canadian production has direct consequences on this country’s forestry industry, and is not offset by the increased production south of the border, which leads to a net loss in the volume of wood available in the American market. This artificially induced greater scarcity of wood leads to higher costs for consumers.

Montreal, June 14, 2022 – On November 22 last year, the federal government introduced Bill C‑11, the Online Streaming Act, in the House of Commons. Its goal is to allow the CRTC to regulate online streaming services. The Netflixes and Disneys of the world, as well as platforms like Spotify and YouTube, are targeted by the bill. It will potentially cover almost all audio and audiovisual content accessible online in Canada. A new MEI publication warns against the possible economic, cultural, and legal consequences of this bill.

Montreal, June 9, 2022 – It is hard to believe that in 2022, health data is still being communicated between institutions and departments via fax in Quebec. According to an MEI publication released today, Quebec’s current system does not allow for an efficient flow of information that would benefit patients, and existing electronic health records lack vital information physicians need to make a proper treatment plan.

Montreal, May 26, 2022 – The shortcomings of health care systems across Canada have been thrown into stark relief by the pandemic, with surgery backlogs making headlines again of late. A lack of physicians and the absence of competition between private and public providers is undermining access to care. A new publication from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) proposes several ways of improving access to health care, including expanding the role of independent providers and increasing the number of doctors in Quebec. For this to happen, however, the College of Physicians and the government will have to end their intimate connection that is harming Quebecers.

Montréal, May 12, 2022 – The MEI published a study today that found that the federal government’s “zero plastic waste” policy puts it in opposition to current and potential innovations that are coming out of the plastics industry. The policy will hurt the economy without any guarantee of helping the environment.

Montreal, April 26, 2022 – The Russian invasion of Ukraine has upset the international political chessboard, with the ramifications of this war reaching as far as Canada. Indeed, according to an Ipsos poll commissioned by the Montreal Economic Institute, a strong majority of Canadians (72%) want us to export our vast energy resources to European countries, like Germany, that depend in large part on Russia for their supply, while only 17% are opposed to this. In Quebec, support remains very high, at 65%. Moreover, 68% of Canadians want us to build the necessary energy infrastructure, including pipelines, in order to export our resources to Europe. In Quebec, a majority (54%) is also in favour.

Montreal, April 14, 2022 – The inflation rate in Canada has been rising constantly for several months now. Expansionary monetary policies, as well as the economic sanctions accompanying the Russia-Ukraine war, suggest that significant inflation may be with us for the medium to long term. High inflation erodes consumers’ purchasing power, and also has a negative impact on Canadian taxpayers—including through the capital gains tax, an issue the MEI’s researchers examined in their latest publication.

Montreal, April 7, 2022 – On the occasion of the tabling of the 2022-2023 federal budget, the MEI’s researchers updated their federal debt clock and called on the Trudeau government to rein in the growth of public spending and address current economic problems efficiently and reasonably.

Montreal, March 31, 2022 – While lowering interest rates has a short-term stimulative effect, maintaining low rates over a longer period of time may have the opposite effect, of inhibiting growth and productivity improvements, according to a Montreal Economic Institute researcher.