Integration of immigrants, payroll taxes, labour laws need improving
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Despite some positive results — particularly in terms of university graduation, taxation on business investment and spending on research and development — Quebec will have to exert much greater effort if it wishes to create more wealth and take the road to prosperity, especially with respect to the economic integration of immigrants, payroll taxes, labour laws and public debt.
"These results cannot be attributed to a government or political party but rather to a society that, after achieving gains, advances and successes, has failed to institute the best possible conditions for prospering sustainably in a context of worldwide competition," said council president Yves-Thomas Dorval. "The issue here is all the most important when we take account of the quicker pace of demographic aging over the coming years." The report card compares Quebec's performance with those of three other Canadian provinces (Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia) and member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. It is based on 20 indicators grouped in five "determinants of prosperity" that embody the council's priority areas — the quality and availability of labour (including education levels, job-related training, economic integration of immigrants), the cost of human capital, regulation, public finances and the business environment. The evaluation is based on empirical data from the study for each indicator and each determinant as well as an average overall grade. Summary
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