November 11, 2020 | 11 min. | Richard Martineau (QUB Radio) Interview (in French) with Miguel Ouellette, Director of Operations and Economist […]

With Canadians locked down to varying degrees in order to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed, a very large majority of them want the system to have better surge capacity. Canadians, and especially Quebecers, also think that the health care system is too bureaucratic to respond to their needs. The majority of Canadians are in favour of giving more space to entrepreneurs within a universal health care system, according to an Ipsos poll carried out on behalf of the Montreal Economic Institute.

A dialogue of the deaf has been going on for months now between those who support lockdowns and those who have doubts about their effectiveness. Both camps often display a lack of civility, with insults flying in all directions. It is therefore quite difficult to find a good summary of the arguments of both sides. It is with a view to addressing this lack and helping people make up their own minds that the MEI has prepared this debate between two experienced economists on the costs and benefits of lockdowns.

In order to improve access to the health network and expand the supply of care available during this pandemic, provincial governments have implemented various measures.

Our health care system is perpetually overcrowded. But there are solutions: Super nurses and super pharmacists can perform tasks that currently occupy doctors. Not only are they trained for it, but they can do it more quickly and at lower cost. Patients need to come first, and we need to stand up to interest groups.

In his column today, Richard Martineau asks conspiracy theorists to explain why our politicians would purposefully exaggerate how dangerous COVID-19 is, and what they would have to gain from confining everyone and shutting stores and businesses.

Bill 30, by opening the door to more entrepreneurship in care delivery within the province’s universal health care system, is a step in the right direction.

Alberta’s legislature passed Bill 30, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, on July 29. Considering Alberta’s underperforming health care system, the proposed reforms amount to a small step in the right direction according to the authors of this publication by the Montreal Economic Institute.

Since the adoption of COVID-19 lockdowns, we have questioned whether the drastic nature of these restrictions has had an impact on the spread of the novel virus. Using data collected by the University of Oxford, the MEI has prepared this short animation that explains the findings of Bloomberg News’ analysis.

« Suivre la science » : une incantation magique constamment invoquée par les politiciens pendant la crise du Covid-19.