Tens of thousands of Quebecers could lose access to the drugs they need, should the Legault government restrict access to the “exceptional patient” mechanism, warns this MEI publication. “In the context of budgetary restrictions, important but little-known mechanisms, like the exceptional patient measure, sadly make easy targets for civil servants,” explains Emmanuelle B. Faubert, economist at the MEI and the author of the study.

Canada’s provincial and territorial governments should allow consumers to shop online for alcoholic beverages produced elsewhere in the country, indicates this MEI publication. “By allowing producers to sell their products online, directly to consumers, our provincial governments would remove obstacles to their growth,” explains Shal Marriott, research associate at the MEI and author of the study.

The expansion of the Quebec government during the Quiet Revolution had no significant impact on the living standards of Quebecers, shows this MEI publication based on economic modelling. “The Quebec population did indeed get richer during this period, but it wasn’t due to the expansion of government,” says Vincent Geloso, senior economist at the MEI and co-author of the study.

Taking inspiration from German and Dutch health systems could help improve access to primary care providers such as family doctors, according to this MEI publication. “The lack of access to primary care providers such as family doctors is being felt in other parts of our health system, which are forced to deal with more numerous and more acute cases,” explains Krystle Wittevrongel, co-author of the publication.

High taxes and excessive regulation are making it harder for Canadians to climb the income ladder, shows this MEI study. “Economic studies have clearly shown that lower taxes and regulatory burdens tend to favour growth and income mobility, to the benefit of the least well-off in society,” explains Vincent Geloso, senior economist at the MEI and co-author of the study.

Canadian health care systems struggle to hold on to their young nurses, reveals this MEI publication. “For every 100 nurses we train in the country, 40 are leaving the profession before their 35th birthday,” states Emmanuelle B. Faubert, economist at the MEI and co-author of the publication.

The federal government’s decree seeking to protect certain woodland caribou herds would result in the loss of at least 1,990 jobs in Quebec’s rural regions, according to this Viewpoint published by the MEI. “If the federal government goes ahead with its decree, it will cause the loss of a minimum of 1,990 jobs, and with no guarantee that the caribou will be saved,” warns Gabriel Giguère, senior public policy analyst at the MEI and author of the study.

Allowing Canadian patients to get reimbursed from the government for care received outside the country – just like Europeans do – would help reduce waiting times, according to this Economic Note published jointly by the Montreal Economic Institute and SecondStreet.org.

A new interpretation of Quebec’s Notarial Act would almost double the cost of a mortgage transfer in the province, according to this MEI study. “With its new interpretation of the Act, the Chambre des notaires has monopolized the preparation of legal forms for mortgage transfers,” states Gabriel Giguère, senior policy analyst at the MEI and author of the study.

Reforming agricultural zoning to ease a transition toward residential zoning would help to make housing affordable again, according to this MEI study. “The fact is that there is a lot of land in our cities that could support households if zoning allowed,” says Gabriel Giguère, senior policy analyst at the MEI and author of the study.