Telecommunications and Broadcast Policy in the New Technological Age
Report of the C.D. Howe Institute Competition Policy Council
The legislative, regulatory and institutional framework governing the Canadian telecommunications and broadcast sectors is outdated to the point of dysfunction, and requires a fundamental overhaul. This is the consensus view of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council, which held its eighth meeting on October 23, 2014.
The Competition Policy Council comprises top-ranked academics and practitioners active in the field of competition policy. The Council, chaired by Finn Poschmann, Vice President, Policy Analysis, at the C.D. Howe Institute, provides analysis of emerging competition policy issues. Professor Edward Iacobucci, Osler Chair in Business Law…
Who Watches the Watchmen? The Role of the Self-Regulator
Provincial governments should take steps to improve consumer protection in the rules and powers of self-regulating organizations (SRO), according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Who Watches the Watchmen? The Role of the Self-Regulator,” author Robert Mysicka finds that, for certain self-governing professions, the public interest is not being adequately protected. Let the Market Decide: The Case Against Mandatory Pick-and-Pay
A proposal by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to mandate “pick-and-pay” television offerings for Canadians is deeply misguided, according to a report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Let the Market Decide: The Case Against Mandatory Pick-and-Pay,” authors Lawson Hunter, Edward Iacobucci and Michael Trebilcock find that mandating consumers to be able to […] Rethinking Ontario’s Electricity System with Consumers in Mind
Ontario electricity consumers will benefit from less risk and lower prices if the province moves to a capacity market for obtaining generation, according to a report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Rethinking Ontario’s Electricity System with Consumers in Mind,” author Michael Wyman calls for the province of Ontario to adopt a capacity market, in […] Uncorking a Strange Brew: The Need for More Competition in Ontario’s Alcoholic Beverage Retailing System
The lack of competition in Ontario’s system for alcoholic beverage retailing causes higher prices for consumers and foregone government revenue, according to a report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Uncorking a Strange Brew: The Need for More Competition in Ontario’s Alcoholic Beverage Retailing System,” authors Paul R. Masson and Anindya Sen call for a […] Cross-Border Price Regulation: Anti-Competition Policy?
Report of the C.D. Howe Institute Competition Policy Council
A recent federal proposal to legislate against cross-border price discrimination is profoundly wrong-headed in approach and should not proceed. This is the consensus view of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council, which held its seventh meeting on April 25, 2014.
The Competition Policy Council comprises top-ranked academics and practitioners active in the field of competition policy. The Council, chaired by Finn Poschmann, Vice President, Research, at the C.D. Howe Institute, provides analysis of emerging competition policy issues. Professor Edward Iacobucci, Osler Chair in Business Law at the University of Toronto and Competition Policy Scholar at…
Sticker Shock: The Causes of the Canada-US Price Differential
Consumers should blame government policy, not retail price gouging for large Canada-US price gaps, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Sticker Shock: The Causes of the Canada-US Price Differential,” author Nicholas Li finds that rising wholesale price gaps over the 2004-2007 period reflect ill-advised Canadian government regulations, such as high tariffs as […] Registering in Harmony: The Case for Pan-Canadian Corporate Registration
Canadian businesses face costly red tape when they want to do business across provincial borders; a problem that is hindering business expansion and economic growth, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Registering in Harmony: The Case for Pan-Canadian Corporate Registration,” authors Daniel Schwanen and Omar Chatur note that while […] Full Throttle: Reforming Canada’s Aviation Policy
Canada’s airports and airlines are hobbled by federal government policies that send travelers’ costs soaring, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Full Throttle: Reforming Canada’s Aviation Policy,” author Benjamin Dachis finds high fares are symptomatic of wider problems in the aviation industry that Ottawa should address with sweeping policy […] Who Gets In? Class Actions and Indirect Purchasers in Competition Law
Report of the C.D. Howe Institute Competition Policy Council
The Supreme Court will rule on Thursday, October 31, in landmark Competition Act decisions. The key question before the Court is, when anticompetitive cartel behaviour is alleged in class action proceedings, should indirect purchasers, such as retailers and end consumers, have standing to sue for damages? Given the likelihood that awards to individual class members might be very small, or zero, even should a suit succeed, it appears that deterrence, not compensation, should be the aim of law and policy. This is the consensus view of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council, which held its sixth meeting on October 24, 2013.
The Competition…
A New Blueprint for Ontario’s Electricity Market
Ontario’s power sector needs an overhaul to address a long list of inefficiencies, and rising consumer prices, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “A New Blueprint for Ontario’s Electricity Market,” author A.J. Goulding presents a blueprint for an electricity market that would be responsive to price signals, reform the role […]