Friday, August 16, 2013

Q is for Quebec and for Qartel and for Qollusion

I really should not be surprised that the Quebec government's solution to the threat to smaller bookstores posed by the internet and bigger bookstores is to impose some kind of price controls.  After all, this is a province that tolerates collusion among car dealers so that they don't sell new cars on the island of Montreal on weekends.  And remember, the great Maple Heist happened because there was  a stockpile of syrup by a cartel of maple producers that produced a tasty, tempting target for maple dealers elsewhere.

Competition apparently is so American or something.  That and doing what is best for consumers.  So, why not have more expensive books?  Of course, the reality is that people will do stuff like download them instead, either legally or illegally.  Good luck policing the internet, Quebec.  For a government that seems to be unable to handle the real problems of governance, I guess solving the problems of a small group of booksellers at the expense of the public and of other businesses might make sense. 

Have I said lately how glad I am to have left Quebec?  Oh, yeah.  Sorry to be so repetitive, but woot!

No comments: