There’s a more practical way to regulate Big Tech – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
As the refreshed Trudeau minority government pushes forward with what we presume will be revised versions of Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault’s controversial bills C-10 and C-36, we suggest it pause, breathe and consider a more poised approach.
The problems with online harms legislation (C-36) are being revealed through the responses of numerous civil and human-rights organizations. The issues connected to C-10 are more firmly embedded within the public memory because of the controversy that ensued last spring when Mr. Guilbeault sought to grant the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) authority over the internet, including personal social-media posts. Its stated intent, while lacking in…
Balyk, Dachis, DeLand – Alberta’s Outdated Oil Sands Royalty Regime Needs a Fix
From: Joel Balyk, Benjamin Dachis and Charles DeLand To: Alberta oil royalty regulators Date: October 18, 2021 Re: Alberta’s Outdated Oil Sands Royalty Regime Needs a Fix Canada’s oil sands accounted for 63 percent of oil production in Canada in 2019, and their royalties have been the source of 7.7 percent of Alberta’s revenues since 2008. The province […] Blomqvist, Grootendorst – Price Regulation Not the Best Answer for Pharmaceuticals
From: Åke Blomqvist and Paul Grootendorst To: Canadians Concerned about Drug Prices Date: October 12, 2021 Re: Price Regulation Not the Best Answer for Pharmaceuticals Big changes are afoot in the way patent drugs are priced in Canada. At present, Canada’s Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB), a federal agency, is responsible for setting maximum prices for patented drugs […] Daniel Schwanen – Reform of the Competition Act
From: Daniel Schwanen To: The Incoming Canadian Parliament Date: October 8, 2021 Re: Reform of the Competition Act Parliament will be considering, in due course, reforms to Canada’s Competition Act to modernize it for the digital age. This is welcome, as long as it does not create greater barriers to investment and innovation in digital […] An Oil Sands Inequity: Alberta’s Outdated Bitumen Valuation Program
Alberta Should Scrap its Outdated Bitumen Valuation Methodology Given the substantial contribution of Alberta’s oil sands to both the province and Canada’s economy, a stable, competitive and fair oil sands regime is essential, according to a new report released by the C.D. Howe Institute. Authors Joel Balyk, Benjamin Dachis and Charles DeLand examine the Bitumen […] Canada Should Negotiate A Fairer Share Of Drug R&d Costs – Financial Post Op-ed
Big changes are afoot in the way patent drugs are priced in Canada. At present, Canada’s Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB), a federal agency, is responsible for setting maximum prices for patented drugs (i.e., pharmaceuticals, biologics and vaccines). The agency has been criticized for failing to rein in prices, which are higher than in some peer countries. This criticism is unfair: the tools the PMPRB was given to regulate drug prices when it was established in 1987 have become less effective over time.
To address this problem, the federal government has authorized the PMPRB to introduce new pricing regulations, now scheduled to come into force in January. We think this is the wrong strategy. Instead of relying on…
Matt Malone – Non-competes Are Holding Canada Back – So Let’s Ban Them
From: Matt Malone To: Canadians Concerned about employment law Date: September 22, 2021 Re: Non-competes are holding Canada back – so let’s ban them Canadian political leaders often talk about unleashing innovation. California did it with just 24 words. “Every contract by which anyone is restrained from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business of any kind is […] Aurelien Portuese – Principles of Dynamic Antitrust
From: Aurelien Portuese To: Canadians Concerned About Competition Date: September 17, 2021 Re: Principles of Dynamic Antitrust Innovation remains antitrust’s paradox. Everyone agrees that competition policies should not stifle innovation with excessive interventionism and should foster innovation with optimal incentives. And yet, innovation remains insufficiently anchored in antitrust enforcement. Antitrust enforcement has improved over the […] Distilled Wisdom: Top Legal and Economic Experts on the Most Needed Competition Reforms
September 9, 2021 – After ten years and over twenty meetings, the C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council has summarized the key measures that the next Canadian government should focus on for legislative reform of the Competition Act.
Competition law and policy has recently been elevated to the main stage of the Canadian policy debate. For example, Budget 2021 marked the first major move of the federal government to respond to the added interest in competition law and policy, with an increase in the Competition Bureau’s budget. This attention, including discussion of Competition Act matters at hearings of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology in April 2021, brings opportunity for…
Campbell, Omran – Benchmarking Canada’s Price Of Protection
To: Canadian insurance watchers From: Alister Campbell and Farah Omran Date: September 9, 2021 Re: Benchmarking Canada’s Price of Protection Over a recent four-year period, Canadians paid $50 billion per year in premiums to insurers for property and casualty insurance, which includes liability, property and auto. Our recent C.D. Howe Institute Commentary sought to answer several core questions about […] Tim Brennan – Adding Goals To Consumer Welfare Can Undercut Everything
From: Tim Brennan To: Canadian competition watchers Date: August 26, 2021 Re: Adding Goals to Consumer Welfare Can Undercut Everything Parliament is considering amendment to the Competition Act. The current US example suggests that these changes may include adding goals for competition enforcers to pursue beyond benefits to “consumer welfare,” currently their prime directive. Section […] Campbell, Stirling-moffet – Should The Competition Act Go Green? (part II)
To: Canadian competition watchers From: Neil Campbell and Sarah Stirling-Moffet Date: August 24, 2021 Re: Should the Competition Act Go Green? (Part II) Yesterday, we examined how the Competition Act may deter or penalize collaboration on environmental issues, restricting industry-wide approaches and other agreements among competitors to pursue sustainability and reduce climate change impacts. Legislative changes should be […]