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Publications

Freshwater exports for the development of Quebec’s blue gold

Fresh water is a product whose relative economic value has risen substantially and will keep rising in the coming years. It has become a growing source of wealth and an increasingly worthwhile investment opportunity. Without better management of this resource, the emergence of water distress can be expected in many highly populated areas of the world. This study aims to present a general portrait of the possibilities open to Quebec in selling and exporting fresh water, to assess Quebec’s competitive advantage and potential in this regard and to define the role and responsibilities that the existence of this potential imposes.

The availability of nurses for mixed practice

Demographic change is putting a heavy strain on Quebec’s public health care system. In particular, this is reflected in a greater need for nursing staff. Meanwhile, many nurses are opting to practise their profession with employment agencies and in the private sector, causing fears of a weakening of the public sector. The Montreal Economic Institute conducted an investigation among nurses to see if the labour supply is really being used to full capacity and whether some nurses would be willing to work extra hours in private practice.

The Doha Development Round and agricultural trade

It may sound counterintuitive, since countries tend to isolate themselves during difficult times, but the challenge of the current food crisis invites all nations to agree collectively to policies that promote trade. The protectionist policies of developed countries and the distorted trade rules they lead to in agriculture are the fundamental factors that prevent the adjustments in worldwide food production and distribution needed to meet increased demand from emerging countries. A freer trade environment would allow more flexibility and innovation in order to adapt to market conditions, as in any other sector or industry.

Viewpoint on the world food crisis

Long term growth in the world economy should see a continuation in the rising demand for food products. The recent food spikes have been caused primarily by a series of shorter term shocks and poor policy measures that have seen some economies benefit (Canada for example) and others suffer tremendously. The critical question is: what can be done to improve the situation?

Labour-sponsored venture capital funds: Time for a reassessment

Labour-sponsored venture capital corporations (LSVCCs) programs have been around since the early 1980s and have not been significantly modified despite major changes in the financing environment for small and medium businesses which was their raison d’être. Creation of these entities was justified on the grounds that small companies had problems in obtaining financing, due in particular to an inadequate supply of capital that focused on this type of business. Many arguments can be made for re-examining this type of intervention, which has been suspended or called into question in several other provinces.

The private sector within a public health care system: The French example

In public policy matters, debates on the health care system are, beyond a doubt, those that cause the greatest controversy. In Quebec, as elsewhere in Canada, the issue of what role should be entrusted to the private sector in the provision of health care services is especially problematic. This is indicated by the strong reactions to the recently published report of the Task Force on the Funding of the Health System, chaired by Claude Castonguay, which some blamed for suggesting a greater participation of private providers as a way toward solving the health care system’s problems.

How can the NIMBY syndrome be avoided?

The syndrome known as NIMBY (short for Not In My BackYard) designates any conflict involving the location of dangerous or nuisance-creating projects in places where local people can be expected to oppose their establishment. In the last few decades we have seen a growth and broadening in this phenomenon of structured opposition, the intensity of which has led many public authorities to suffer from a tendency to stagnate with respect to major projects.

Bringing back tolls on Quebec highways

The scope of roadwork announced in February by the Quebec Department of Transport ($12 billion from 2008 to 2012) suggests the extent to which the maintenance of highway infrastructure has been neglected in recent years. Last October, the Montreal Economic Institute published an Economic Note outlining tolls’ efficiency in financing the highway network. The Note showed that this type of revenue collection best respects the user-pay principle.

International aid: How to encourage development in poor countries?

The poverty that is so widespread in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, is one of our era’s greatest challenges. A billion people continue to survive on less than a dollar a day and 30,000 children die each day of diseases or malnutrition. Colonialism and slavery clearly left their mark, but how can they be held responsible for the extreme poverty of sub-Saharan Africa when places such as Hong Kong and Singapore prove that it is possible to achieve real economic miracles despite a colonial past?

Is there a market in romantic relationships?

The tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day by exchanging greetings and special gestures with loved ones goes back to the Middle Ages. The earliest known piece of writing in this respect is dated 1415. With the noble and idealistic concept of forming couples still in existence today, can we rule out all rationality in amorous deeds? Does the behaviour of men and women who are seeking partners not obey principles that go beyond passion to encompass an element of reason?

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