
5-minute read
Bill C-26: The Risks of Micromanaging Cybersecurity
The addition of federal administrative requirements in digital security—as Bill C-26 proposes—would lengthen the time required for companies to act and respond to breaches, according to this publication by the Montreal Economic Institute.

8-minute read
Lessons from Ranking the Fiscal Performance of Quebec Premiers Since 1944
Former Premier Jacques Parizeau takes the top prize in terms of fiscal responsibility, according to this ranking of Quebec premiers since 1944 published by the MEI. The size of the Quebec government reached a historic high of 28% of GDP last year. François Legault is ranked 12th out of 14 premiers in terms of fiscal responsibility.

7-minute read
Electricity in Quebec before Nationalization(1)
To mark this week’s 60th anniversary of the election of the Jean Lesage government in 1962, the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) publishes a short work of economic history looking at the national myth surrounding Hydro-Québec in this province.

11-minute read
The Economic Impact of Applying a Carbon Emissions Cap to the Oil and Gas Sector
This study from the MEI describes how the federal government’s proposal to cap the energy sector’s greenhouse gas emissions would cause substantial economic losses, without achieving any net reduction in global emissions.

10-minute read
Aging at Home: Cash-for-Care Models Reduce Institutionalization
Provincial governments in Canada should implement cash-for-care systems to encourage home care, while respecting taxpayers’ ability to pay, according to this publication from the MEI.

11-minute read
GAFA Tax: A Bad Solution to a Nonexistent Problem
The federal government’s bill to impose a surtax on the revenues of digital companies would hurt Canadian consumers according this MEI publication. “No matter how the government dresses up its digital tax bill, it is Canadian consumers who will once again pay for it,” said Olivier Rancourt, Economist at the MEI and author of the publication.

14-minute read
Spending Your Golden Years at Home: Developing Home Care Services in Quebec
The Quebec population is aging faster than the current long-term care residence system can handle, which forces us to consider new ways of doing things. The government of Quebec must allow more seniors to remain in their homes by doing a better job of supporting informal caregivers, shows this new publication released by the MEI.

12-minute read
Enhancing Public Safety While Saving Public Dollars with Auxiliary Private Security Agents
The demands on police in non-criminal areas have grown as governments have saddled officers with increasing responsibilities divorced from their core mission. With pressure coming from all sides, including recent calls to “defund the police,” this new MEI paper proposes to outsource non-core tasks to auxiliary private security agents in order to make the best use of scarce police time and public resources.

8-minute read
Choking Hazard: The Adverse Effects of “Eat the Rich” Policies
Proposals to increase taxes on the rich resurface often in the news. MEI researchers conclude in this study that, however the term “rich” is defined, this selective taxation does not pay, due to its longer-term indirect effects. By penalizing those who create wealth, this gives rise to a number of adverse effects that threaten the prosperity of all Canadians.

10-minute read
For a Better CPI Indicator in Canada
For over a year now, statistics have shown an unusual rise in the general price level as calculated by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The highest seen in 40 years, this increase has fuelled public debate as well as anxiety among Canadians. Researchers at the MEI believe that the actual deterioration in purchasing power is much more pronounced than the official rate would indicate, and they challenge the validity of the metrics employed by Statistics Canada which in their view do not reflect the true inflationary pressure experienced since the beginning of this year.