Montreal, March 20, 2009 – We often hear that the Republican presidency of George W. Bush was characterized by a reduction in the size of government and that this is a classic example of the failure of laissez-faire economics. However, a simple examination of spending by the United States Government during the eight years of the Bush administration (see the Figures and Table on the Institute’s website) shows clearly that this is a huge myth, far removed from reality.

Montreal, March 16, 2009 – According to an Angus Reid poll commissioned by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), 56% of Quebecers want the government, in a context of economic crisis and lower revenues, to balance its finances by reducing the number of civil servants. Only 7% favour higher fees for public services.

Montreal, March 6, 2009 – It was not lack of regulation that led to the economic crisis but rather the harmful effects of government intervention. In an Economic Note titled The Origins of the Economic Crisis, published by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), economist Pierre Lemieux explains that “the current turmoil points more to government failure than to market failure.”

Montreal, February 3, 2009 – By privatizing Hydro-Québec, Quebecers would get $10 billion more out of it per year through improved productivity, higher electricity rates and an end to costly subsidy programs for aluminum smelters, according to a Research Paper published by the Montreal Economic Institute. The new private company would be required to pay substantial annual royalties to the government, says the study, prepared by Claude Garcia, member of the board of directors of several corporations and former president of the Canadian operations of Standard Life.

Montreal, January 22, 2009 – Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy is returning to the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) as a senior economist. Well known for her weekly columns in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec and as an economist with the MEI from 2005 to 2008, she has worked since last summer as a senior economist with the Fraser Institute. At the MEI, starting now, she will analyze public policies at the local and international levels, assessing their effectiveness and bringing out the related socio-economic issues. Her research and analyses will be published by the MEI and will be available on our website.

Montreal, December 12, 2008 – The Montreal Economic Institute has issued two economic education prizes, worth $3,000 each, to Martin Jolicoeur, a journalist with the weekly newspaper Les Affaires, and to Sean Silcoff, a freelance journalist who, until recently, was a columnist and Montreal correspondent with the National Post.

Montreal, November 12, 2008 – Hélène Desmarais, chairman of the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), is very pleased to announce the appointment of Michel Kelly-Gagnon as president of the MEI. After heading the Institute at a time of major development from 1999 to 2006, Mr. Kelly-Gagnon has been entrusted with the mission of taking up the reins again and increasing the MEI’s involvement in relevant areas of public policy on the federal stage. For the last three years, he has headed the Conseil du Patronat du Québec, the province’s most important business organization.

Montreal, November 1, 2008 – The Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) is presenting 10 ideas to Montrealers and Quebecers regarding the economic development of Montreal, entitled: “10 Projects to Make Montreal a Real Metropolis.” These proposals, to be applied within one to five years, will be discussed in the pages of the Journal de Montréal this Saturday, November 1, and in the days that follow.

Montreal, October 23, 2008 – For the first time, the 2008 Ranking of Quebec High Schools (Palmarès des écoles secondaires du Québec 2008), prepared by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) and published by L’actualité magazine, evaluates the impact of the schools themselves on academic performance, having accounted for student selection and the importance of social environment. This new indicator is an indispensable tool for parents and teachers who want a fair picture of each school’s contribution to its students’ success.

Montreal, October 20, 2008 – Increasing tuition fees on a per-program basis instead of applying a standard, global increase would allow the Quebec government to collect a quarter of the amount that the province would otherwise obtain by matching its tuition fees with the average Canadian fees. This increase would be directed to the long-term financing of universities, increasing their overall revenue by $110 million a year. Such a change could be implemented from 2012 to 2017, giving students time to adapt. Even if fees for some programs would probably increase further later on, they would not affect access to post-secondary education were they tied to an income-based repayment program for underprivileged students.