People often forget the fact that Quebec was once the province which made the greatest use of tolls. Toll booths, which were abandoned in the 1980s, were installed on portions of highways 10, 13, 15 and 40, as well as on the Jacques-Cartier and Champlain bridges. As the road network faces deterioration and insufficient funding, the return of tolls is an interesting solution for several reasons.

The questioning of the Quebec model.

Quebec’s road network, much of it built in the 1960s and 1970s, is aging quickly. Highways in Quebec have reached a critical point and will need to be rejuvenated in the coming years. Other countries have found ways of ensuring adequate, stable financing to maintain their roads. The Quebec government could look into new means of conducting road rehabilitation projects. International experience in public-private partnerships (PPP) can offer worthwhile solutions as the government struggles to maintain the road network adequately.

Quebec’s road network is in dismal condition. During a visit to Montreal in 2006, Simon Anholt, a specialist in the marketing of political entities, said jokingly that he thought he was in the wrong country and had landed in Kazakhstan, since the road from the airport to downtown Montreal was so bad. The collapse of the de la Concorde overpass and information uncovered by the Johnson Commission have shown, concretely and sadly, that this was more than just an impression.

Last June, the Quebec Minister of Municipal Affairs submitted Bill 22 giving the City of Montreal greater taxation powers. If the bill is adopted, Quebec’s biggest city will be able, for instance, to impose a tax on show tickets and restaurant meals. The minister says these new income sources were given to Montreal because “our metropolis must have the means to deal with the challenges it faces.” Several municipalities, including Montreal, have been demanding broader sources of income to avoid tight budgets or red ink. But other solutions to the problem may be found in better control over spending.

Suppliers of services financed by the state have recourse to a form of overpricing.

Quebec’s socio-economic problems, in areas such as health care, education, infrastructure, support for cultural industries and sustainable development, are interrelated phenomena that stem largely from Quebec’s relative underperformance in demographic growth, economic development and job creation. This situation goes back 25 years. It is time to put an end to it. A number of voices have already sounded the alarm. This Economic Note, which takes account of the latest available data and presents the main indicators of a society’s economic health, shows that Quebec’s economic situation is not improving and that, despite these appeals, it is actually continuing to deteriorate in relation to its competitors.

The drawbacks of a union monopoly in a public utility.

The drawbacks of a union monopoly in a public utility.

Publication of an Economic Note on the effectiveness of regional assistance programs.