Favourable conditions like lower fuel prices and the weakness of the loonie have benefited Canadian airports over the past two years. This trend could be short-lived, however, whereas systemic pressures are undermining the competitiveness of the Canadian airline sector in the longer term. In 2015, Canada was ranked 130th out of 138 countries in terms of ticket taxes and charges imposed on airports. Ultimately, these taxes and charges represent extra costs that are passed on to consumers and to air carriers.

The charges and taxes imposed on Canadian airports and their impact.

The impact of subsidies for the purchase of electric cars.

The Quebec Fonds des générations and the public debt.

The takeover of our companies by foreign companies.

Investissement Québec is unprofitable.

The public debates over pipelines have focused especially on their safety, on environmental risks, and on economic spinoffs. These are relevant questions, but they are often considered from a local point of view instead of from a pan-Canadian perspective. This Economic Note examines the four pipeline projects currently being studied and focuses on their economic impact for Canada as a whole by contrasting them with the effects of public infrastructure investment.

Canadian airport fees are too high.

There have been several corruption scandals in Quebec and in the rest of Canada in recent years. Corruption is a problem that affects all countries and all societies, but it is much more prevalent in certain regions than in others. Economic analysis has several things to teach us about these disparities and about economic principles that can check this scourge.

Reducing the income tax and its effects on the economy.