The way Canada reviews foreign investments is out of date – iPolitics Op-Ed
Canada’s process for reviewing foreign investments is too opaque, and protects neither our economic nor our national-security interests.
Ottawa should therefore follow Washington’s lead and create a system wherein certain transactions must be cleared before an investment is ever made.
The timing couldn’t be better: Earlier this month, Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced a review of Canadian’s Competition Act. The minister should leverage this moment to create a tailor-made solution for foreign investment reviews, as well.
Rather than prioritizing national security, the current regime is more concerned with investors. Canadian companies and their advisers would all benefit…
Tim Brennan – Private Action in Competition Law: Cautionary Notes from South of the Border
From: Tim Brennan To: Competition Policy Watchers Date: March 9, 2022 Re: Private Action in Competition Law: Cautionary Notes from South of the Border In its extensive response last month to a Senate invitation to comment on potential changes to the competition law framework in Canada, the Competition Bureau called for expanding private access to […] Glen Hodgson – Flooding is Coming. What To Do?
From: Glen Hodgson To: Concerned Canadians Date: March 1, 2022 Re: Flooding is Coming. What To Do? The recent unprecedented flooding in BC has confirmed how unprepared we are for climate change and severe weather events. What can be done to help protect the value of physical assets from climate-driven flood risks – specifically housing and commercial buildings? More […] Benjamin Dachis – Crunch-Time for Housing in Ontario
From: Benjamin Dachis To: Canadian Home Buyers Date: February 24, 2022 Re: Crunch-Time for Housing in Ontario Bold reforms to boost Ontario’s housing supply were outlined this month in a task force report and it’s now up to the province to decide which recommendations to adopt. It would be wise to adopt as many as it can. The debate on […] Jon Johnson – Build Back Better Bill Facing Strong Opposition from Senate Republicans
From: Jon Johnson To: Canadian Trade Watchers Date: February 23, 2022 Re: Build Back Better Bill Facing Strong Opposition from Senate Republicans Earlier this year, I reported on European Union, Canadian and Mexican opposition to the Biden Administration’s Build Back Better Bill because of its discriminatory subsidies to purchasers of electric vehicles. Opposition has now been joined […] Peter Glossop – Efficiency Defence: Let’s Lose It
From: Peter Glossop To: Canada’s competition law community Date: February 17, 2022 Re: Efficiency Defence: Let’s Lose It The efficiency defence in section 96 of the Competition Act enables an anti-competitive merger to proceed if the efficiencies it generates are greater than and offset its anti-competitive effects. The efficiency defence primarily promotes the benefit to the economy of […] A Friend in High Places: A Proposal to Add a National Security Amicus to Canada’s Investment Review Regime
Investors facing a national security review under the Investment Canada Act receive little in the way of information during the process. The absence of information exposes the process to criticism from investors, vendors and the public. For investments that require a full national security review, the Canadian government should introduce a national security amicus to allow investors […] Larry Schwartz – The Evolution of the Efficiency Defence in Canada
To: Canada’s Competition Law Community From: Larry Schwartz Date: February 16, 2022 Re: The Evolution of the Efficiency Defence in Canada Successive Commissioners of Competition have called for significant changes or outright elimination of the “efficiency defence” in the Competition Act. No other G-7 country has followed Canada’s approach to efficiency in merger review, noted the current Commissioner recently. […] Facey, Joneja, Dueck – Efficiencies Exception: Let’s Keep It
To: Canadians Who Care About Competition Policy From: Brian A. Facey, Navin Joneja, and David Dueck Date: February 17, 2022 Subject: Efficiencies Exception: Let’s Keep It Canada’s Competition Act has been described as one of the most economically sophisticated competition laws in the world largely due to the efficiencies exception in section 96. Promoting the […] Konrad von Finckenstein – Two Improvements Needed for Bill C-11
To: Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage From: Konrad von Finckenstein Date: February 15, 2022 Re: Two Improvements Needed for Bill C-11 You recently introduced Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. The title reflects the laudable goal of integrating the over-the-top broadcasters (commonly called streamers) such as Netflix, into the Canadian broadcasting system. They clearly form part of the […] Province needs to throw its weight behind task force report on improving housing affordability – Toronto Star Op-Ed
The Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force released its final report Feb. 8 after two months of consultation and study. It offers bold reform to boost housing supply. The ball is now in the province’s court to decide which recommendations to adopt; the province would be wise to adopt as many as it can.
The debate on why housing costs are so high is settled. Study after study shows supply restrictions are behind the price rises. One C.D. Howe Institute study shows delays and extra costs add hundreds of thousands of dollars to home costs.
The government has focused on boosting supply before. In 2019, it announced a Housing Supply Action Plan and a first package of legislative and…
Jon Johnson – Biden Administration’s Flawed Bill H.R. 5376 – Opposition is Building
From: Jon Johnson To: Canadian Trade Watchers Date: January 4, 2022 Re: Biden Administration’s Flawed Bill H.R. 5376 – Opposition is Building US trading partners are now voicing strong opposition to the Biden administration’s H.R. 5376. In a letter dated December 3 addressed to Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European […]