We often hear statements to the effect that growth in market economies has caused irreparable harm to the planet. A closer look at official statistics, however, shows us not only that living standards and environmental standards are far higher in advanced countries than in underdeveloped economies, but also that considerable progress has been observed in the latter in the last several decades.

The history of the Quebec education system since the 1960s can be summed up as follows: more expensive educational services, centralization of educational financing at the provincial level, and standardization of educational practices. This approach seems to have reached its climax. Increases and centralization in educational financing and standardization in educational practices no longer seem to have an effect on pupils' performance at school. Educational vouchers aim to introduce a market mechanism to the public education system by linking school financing to the number of pupils they receive. The goal is to encourage schools to respond to demands from consumers of educational services, namely parents.

There seems to be a view among Canadian governments that the domestic market and interprovincial trade are not important. Canada as a country doesn't have enforceable trade rules. Provincial governments can and do use their legislative and regulatory powers to protect local interests and limit trade in their markets. We also don't have an effective mechanism to ensure that our domestic market is functioning the very best it can to support and sustain export growth in the future.

The Report Card on Quebec’s Secondary Schools provides an annual, independent measurement of the extent to which each school meets basic needs. The Report Card thus serves several purposes. For one thing, it facilitates school improvement, and for parents who have a choice between several educational institutions, it can help them make an enlightened decision.

The history of public finance in Quebec since the 1960s can be summed up as follows: rapid spending growth and accumulated deficits until the mid-1990s, followed by a few years of budget cuts and elimination of the deficit, and then a resumption of spending growth right up to now. Contrary to what some people suggest, the Quebec government has not undergone a drastic slimming down in the last few years. Spending growth has continued since 1997.

If we analyze the housing crisis that has plagued Quebec since 2001 through the lenses of economic science, it can be attributed to a number of government policies that have distorted the proper workings of the province’s housing market. Among other factors, rent control has discouraged the maintenance of existing units and the building of new ones. Quebec’s housing regulations also throw numerous roadblocks in the way of tenant selection and the eviction of the worst tenants, which makes investment in housing less attractive.

Bastiat wrote a series of texts that use biting irony to attack the economic sophistry in vogue in his country toward the middle of the 19th century. Unfortunately, this same sophistry continues to feed public policy debate even today!

With governments up against higher health care spending, partnerships between the public and private sectors can offer innovative ways of controlling costs and improving services. Experience shows that such partnerships in construction and hospital management can provide major advantages. However, those who develop public policy must negotiate carefully and devise rules that are well thought out to ensure universal access, quality care and greater efficiency.

Forests are a big part of life in Quebec. In economic terms, this sector generates nearly 90,000 direct jobs paying $3.2 billion in wages. Some commentators are worried about what lies ahead for our forests. What is really happening? Will we soon be facing a shortage of wood? Is greater intervention by public authorities likely to lead to a more sustainable use of Quebec forests?

In the late 1990s, the Quebec government put in place a number of incentives worth more than 2 billion dollars in order to attract related firms in designated zones. This "cités industrielles" policy, whose most prominent examples are Montreal's Cité Multimédia and Cité du commerce électronique, and Quebec City's Centre national des nouvelles technologies, seeks to create "synergies" between firms and to revitalize certain urban areas. This policy is not based on any detailed analysis.