Ian Irvine – Legal Marijuana: Beware Supply-Side Market Power
From: Ian Irvine To: Provincial marijuana regulators Date: December 22, 2017 Re: Legal Marijuana: Beware Supply-Side Market Power The efficient sourcing of marijuana at the wholesale level will be critical to the success of provinces in generating tax revenue and competing with the illegal market. Limiting the power of suppliers to set uncompetitive prices for their product will […] How to boost Canadian content in a digital world – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
The world of Canadian content regulation was developed in an earlier analog environment. Broadcasting was largely a closed, regulated system that included subsidies designed to help create more domestic content.
But the broadcasting system is no longer closed. High-quality television programming is available from the internet and Canadians are avid consumers. When TV is delivered over the internet, none of the Canadian regulations apply. So, the current system is not working; and it’s clear that the quest to boost domestic content is an uphill battle.
In English Canada, the top 10 shows in 2016 were American. The next 10 shows were: three U.S. dramas; one U.S. reality show; four Canadian reality shows; and two Canadian…
Strengthening Canadian Television Content: Creation, Discovery and Export in a Digital World
Canadian voices are endangered as TV evolves according to a new report from the C.D Howe Institute. In “Strengthening Canadian Television Content: Creation, Discovery and Export in a Digital World” authors Lawson Hunter, Kenneth Engelhart and Peter Miller find the future of television and Canadian content is up in the air and examine how regulators […] Jim MacGee – Limit the Buildup of Risk, not Competition, in Mortgage Lending
From: Jim MacGee To: Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance Date: November 10, 2017 Re: Limit the Buildup of Risk, not Competition, in Mortgage Lending Last month saw another move to limit the buildup of risk in housing markets, with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions updating guideline B-20 on residential mortgage underwriting practices and procedures. A key […] Addy, Manji-Knight – Revised Immunity Program May Not Be Your Best Weapon
From: George N. Addy and Alysha Manji-Knight To: The Competition Bureau of Canada Date: November 09, 2017 Re: Revised Immunity Program May Not Be Your Best Weapon Last month the Competition Bureau released for public consultation a revised version of its immunity program, its self-described ‘best weapon’ to provide incentives to businesses and individuals to report criminal anticompetitive […] Rosalie Wyonch on BNN – Ottawa chooses middle ground on cannabis tax
The Institute’s Rosalie Wyonch joined BNN to discuss Ottawa’s cannabis tax proposal, and whether it will have an impact on reducing marijuana in the black market.
Dachis, Fanaki – Improving Merger Reviews in Canada
From: Benjamin Dachis and Adam Fanaki To: Competition Policy makers Date: November 2, 2017 Re: Improving Merger Reviews in Canada The C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council met this month to discuss the state of competition policy in Canada. The Competition Act provides for reviews of mergers by the Commissioner of Competition, the head of the Competition Bureau, to […] Mergers and Inquisitions? Competition Bureau’s Merger Review Needs Improvement
Report of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council
The Competition Bureau and the government should work to introduce measures to improve the efficiency, consistency, and predictability of the Canadian merger review process, according to the consensus of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council, which held its fourteenth meeting on October 17, 2017. The Competition Act provides for reviews of mergers by the Commissioner of Competition, who heads the Competition Bureau, to determine whether such transactions are likely to prevent or lessen competition substantially. The Bureau’s merger review process is taking longer, although part of the delay may be due to matters outside of the Bureau’s…Rosalie Wyonch – To Tax Or Not To Tax, That’s Not The Question
From: Rosalie Wyonch To: Ministers of Finance Date: October 24, 2017 Re: To Tax or Not to Tax, That’s Not the Question Recently, there has been much ado about Netflix: whether it should be regulated or taxed and whether it is destroying Canadian content production or it is a new global platform that will export Canadian content to the […] Canada needs to follow Quebec lead on taxing Netflix – Toronto Star Op-Ed
Recently, there has been much ado about Netflix: whether it should be regulated or taxed and whether it is destroying Canadian content production or it is a new global platform that will export Canadian content to the world. The federal government recently touted an agreement with the company for a $500 million investment in Canadian content over five years alongside a “first ever” strategy for the Canadian creative economy.
The Quebec legislature swiftly and unanimously voted for a motion to “ensure the Quebec sales tax is imposed on all foreign companies that offer products and services online, notably in the cultural sector, as soon as possible.” However, Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitao said the province won’t take any…
D. Daniel Sokol – Big Data and Canadian Competition Policy
From: D. Daniel Sokol To: John Pecman, Commissioner of Competition Re: Big Data and Canadian Competition Policy Date: October. 10, 2017 The Canadian Competition Bureau recently released its draft discussion paper on Big Data. The Bureau strikes the right tone in noting that there are both potential benefits and potential drawbacks to Big Data from a […] Andy Charles – Housing Prices in the GTA and Mortgage Lending
From: Andy Charles To: Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance Date: September 15, 2017 Re: Housing Prices in the GTA and Mortgage Lending The trajectory of home price increases in the GTA has been an obsession over the past 18 months. Everybody has a theory. What or who is responsible for driving prices upwards? Foreign buyers? […]