Krane, Musgrove – Drip Pricing Amendments to the Competition Act
To: The Hon. Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry From: Joshua Krane and James Musgrove Date: May 3, 2022 Re: Drip Pricing Amendments to the Competition Act Proposed amendments to sections 52(1.2) and 74.01(1.1) of the Competition Act would prohibit “drip pricing,” where consumers are shown one price, but end up facing higher […] Edward Iacobucci – The Competition Bureau’s Approach to the Efficiencies Defence
From: Edward Iacobucci To: Competition Law observers Date: May 2, 2022 Re: The Competition Bureau’s Approach to the Efficiencies Defence Section 96 of the Competition Act allows anticompetitive mergers as long as the efficiency gains from the merger outweigh the anticompetitive effects from the merger. The Bureau recently called for the repeal of the defence, […] Rushed Amendments Could Have Unintended Consequences: C.D. Howe Institute Competition Policy Council
April 28, 2022 – The C.D. Howe Institute Competition Policy Council supports the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry’s recent statement that “competition in the economy is the driving force behind innovation, efficiency and adaptability.”
However, in “Bring on the Competition: Reforming Canada’s Competition Act,” the Council’s 22nd report, it cautions that rushed amendments to the Competition Act without careful consideration and thoughtful debate could have unintended consequences for these forces in the Canadian economy. “Even perceived shortcomings in the Competition Act may not easily be addressed without unintended consequences,” according to the Council’s latest Communiqué.
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John Lester – Broadening the New Review of Tax Support for R&D
From: John Lester To: Canadians Concerned About Innovation Date: April 26, 2022 Re: Broadening the New Review of Tax Support for R&D Canadians concerned about our lacklustre innovation performance were cheered by the budget announcement that the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program would be reviewed. Canada’s business research and development performance is dismal, […] Edward Iacobucci – The Competition Bureau’s Approach to the Goals of Competition Policy
To: Competition Law Observers From: Edward Iacobucci Date: April 19, 2022 Re: The Competition Bureau’s Approach to the Goals of Competition Policy What should be the goals of competition policy? Section 1.1 of the Competition Act provides that promoting competition promotes efficiency, competitive prices and product choices, and tends to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have […] David Marshall – Reforming Auto Insurance
From: David Marshall To: Canadian Drivers Date: April 18, 2022 Re: Reforming Auto Insurance Auto insurance premiums in Canada amount to about $27 billion per year. Key reforms could save millions for consumers as they make auto insurance more responsive to market forces, as I outline in my recent C.D. Howe Institute report. Auto insurance for personal injury and […] Le biberon empoisonné – La Presse Op-Ed
Pas facile de lâcher le biberon pétrolier qui empoisonne notre planète. Comment concilier la nécessaire décarbonation et la sécurité énergétique ? Et, de surcroît, assurer une transition juste pour les provinces productrices ?
Ces questions n’ont pas de réponses faciles. À raison, les environnementalistes poussent pour un sevrage et une transition rapide vers les énergies renouvelables. Mais les consommateurs sont habiles à rationaliser l’utilité de leur VUS. Et à l’ère du populisme, les gouvernements craignent de les brusquer. Quant aux pétrolières et aux provinces productrices, elles cherchent évidemment à protéger leur pactole le plus longtemps possible.
En Europe, la guerre en Ukraine a rappelé brutalement l’…
George N. Addy – Competition Act Amendments: First Add Oversight and Accountability
From: George N. Addy To: Competition Law Observers Date: April 12, 2022 Re: Competition Act Amendments: First Add Oversight and Accountability Competition law – traditionally the domain of lawyers, economists and bureaucrats – has in recent years caught the attention of elected officials, media and the general public in many countries. In Canada, calls for amendments to the Competition […] Benjamin Dachis – Supply Constraints Drive Housing Prices Spikes
From: Benjamin Dachis To: Steve Clark, Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Date: April 1, 2022 Re: Supply Constraints Drive Housing Prices Spikes This week’s announcement from the Ontario government of their planned actions on housing shows more is still needed to truly solve the housing cost crisis. And the Union of British Columbia […] Auto Insurance Value by Province: Who’s Leading, Who’s Lagging?
Auto insurance systems differ greatly across Canada. Which provinces stand out as the leaders in terms of providing value for money to policyholders? And which are most behind? Leading auto insurance expert David Marshall has produced a grade of each province in this Graphic Intelligence. The debate is not about whether government or private-delivered insurance […] Rosenthal, Rosner – Four Reasons to Abolish the Competition Tribunal
From: Julie Rosenthal and David Rosner To: François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Date: March 28, 2022 Re: Four Reasons to Abolish the Competition Tribunal Competition law in Canada is underdeveloped. This is particularly so for the law regarding “civilly reviewable conduct,” including the abuse of dominance (section 79) and competitor collaborations (section […] Gullo, Eaton, Schwanen – Let’s Stop Our Inter-Provincial Economic Friction
From: Michael Gullo, Michelle Eaton, Daniel Schwanen To: Canadians Concerned About Prosperity Date: March 21, 2022 Re: Let’s Stop Our Inter-Provincial Economic Friction If we can find a small silver lining in the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been the increased collaboration between orders of government; in particular, the federal government and its provincial and territorial counterparts. Fostering this collaboration […]