One of the main reasons for the province’s relative poverty lies in its low productivity, said Robert Gagne, co-author of “Productivity and Prosperity in Quebec,” published Monday. Conservative-leaning politicians across Canada, however, make another argument: Quebec suffers from its over reliance on equalization payments. Premier Francois Legault will have the opportunity to address Quebec’s low productivity with his government’s first budget on Thursday. “If we want Canadians to have comparable services, well then we need equalization,” Gagne said. “The day we don’t have equalization then there won’t really be a reason to have a country.

Source: thestar March 18, 2019 22:07 UTC