The Quebec government would have a budget surplus today if its spending had returned to the growth trajectory of the Couillard government after the pandemic, according to this Economic Note. “We find ourselves facing chronic deficits today, not because of the situation, but as a result of deliberate choices,” explains Gabriel Giguère, senior policy analyst at the MEI and the author of the study.

By recommending the prohibition of private medical practice, Quebec’s order of physicians, the Collège des médecins du Québec, is going against best international practices, states the MEI in this Viewpoint. “When we look at healthcare systems that work better than ours, it’s clear that private medical practice does not reduce access to care,” says Emmanuelle B. Faubert, economist at the MEI and author of the publication.

The construction of pipelines between Eastern and Western Canada would have helped diversify Canadian export markets and should be considered anew in the context of the U.S. tariff threats, says the MEI in this Viewpoint. “Canada’s high level of dependence on U.S. trade is not unavoidable,” explains Gabriel Giguère, senior policy analyst and author of the report.

Eliminating the second tax bracket and replacing it with an extended first bracket would help more than 8.5 million middle-class Canadians, according to this Economic Note published by the MEI. “Taxes, high inflation and now economic uncertainty have all taken their toll on the Canadian middle class in recent years,” said Jason Dean, Associate Researcher at the MEI and author of the publication.

Unilateral reduction of all barriers to trade with the rest of the world would strengthen Canada’s economy in the context of the U.S. tariff threats, recommends the MEI in this Viewpoint. “As tempting as it may be to respond to tariffs with more tariffs, that would risk making our processors and retailers less competitive and impoverishing our consumers,” explains Vincent Geloso, senior economist at the MEI and author of the publication.

The federal government’s decision to ban the purchase of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035 will be very expensive for Canadian households and for governments, asserts this MEI Economic Note. “By forcing the adoption of electric vehicles, the federal government is failing to take into account consumers’ willingness and ability to pay,” said Gabriel Giguère, senior public policy analyst at the MEI and author of the publication.

Allowing independent health providers to open up new continuing care facilities or contribute to home care services could reduce the number of hospital beds occupied by patients who need alternate levels of care in Alberta, according to this MEI report.

Consistent union efforts to block port automation have left Canada with some of the least productive ports in the world, argues this publication by the MEI. “This makes us much more vulnerable given the current trade uncertainties with the United States,” said Shal Marriott, associate researcher at the MEI and author of the study.

Giving parents the option to delay school entry by a year if they think their child lacks sufficient maturity could help improve academic performance, according to this study published by the MEI. “Every child develops at their own pace, and some need more time to achieve the maturity level required to perform in elementary school,” says Guillaume Pouliot, associate researcher at the MEI.

While global investment in oil and gas projects has grown by over a quarter since the 2015 glut, in Canada it has shrunk by nearly a quarter, according to this MEI study.
“Policies that are hostile to large projects are the reason why we’re missing out on tens of billions of dollars of potential investment in our economy,” said Krystle Wittevrongel, director of research at the MEI and co-author of the publication.