Bedna , Vass; Bes e , Keldon
Wo king Pape
Compe ing ideas: Canada's compe i ion e o m
con e sa ion
CIGI Pape s, No. 293
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Cen e o In e na ional Go e nance Inno a ion (CIGI), Wa e loo, On a io
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Bedna , Vass; Bes e , Keldon (2024) : Compe ing ideas: Canada's compe i ion
e o m con e sa ion, CIGI Pape s, No. 293, Cen e o In e na ional Go e nance Inno a ion (CIGI),
Wa e loo (On a io)
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CIGI Pape s No. 293 — Ap il 2024
Compe ing Ideas
Canada’s Compe i ion
Re o m Con e sa ion
Vass Bedna and Keldon Bes e
CIGI Pape s No. 293 — Ap il 2024
Compe ing Ideas:
Canada’s Compe i ion
Re o m Con e sa ion
Vass Bedna and Keldon Bes e
Abou CIGI
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Table o Con en s
i Abou he Au ho s
1 Execu i e Summa y
1 In oduc ion
2 Why Compe i ion Ma e s
4 P e ious Consul a ions on Canada’s Compe i ion Policy
5 Who Pa icipa ed and Wha Did They Say?
9 Wha Does This Mean o he Fu u e o Compe i ion in Canada?
12 Looking o Compe i ion beyond he Compe i ion Ac
13 Conclusion
14 Wo ks Ci ed
i CIGI Pape s No. 293 — Ap il 2024 • Vass Bedna and Keldon Bes e
Abou he Au ho s
Vass Bedna is a CIGI senio ellow wo king a
he in e sec ion o echnology and public policy
as he execu i e di ec o o he Mas e o Public
Policy in Digi al Socie y p og am a McMas e
Uni e si y, whe e she is an adjunc p o esso
o poli ical science. She w i es a newsle e
abou s a -ups and public policy called “ egs
o iches” and is a Public Policy Fo um ellow.
Vass is ecognized as a c ea i e, da a-d i en
hinke and ecen ly ad ised On a io’s minis e
o labou , aining and skills de elopmen on
he p o ince’s Wo k o ce Reco e y Ad iso y
Commi ee (2021). She was p e iously chai
o P ime Minis e Jus in T udeau’s Expe
Panel on You h Employmen (2016–2017).
Passiona e abou public dialogue, she was also
he co-hos o De angled, a weekly pop cul u e
and public policy adio show and podcas ha
an om 2016 o 2018. Vass cu en ly con ibu es
o public dialogue as a panellis on CBC’s The
Sunday Magazine show and on News alk 1010’s
“F ee o All” panel on Thu sday mo nings.
She is a g adua e o McMas e Uni e si y’s A s&
Science P og am (2008) and holds a mas e o
public policy om he Uni e si y o To on o (2010).
Keldon Bes e is a CIGI ellow and he execu i e
di ec o o he Canadian An i-Monopoly P ojec ,
a hink ank dedica ed o add essing he ha ms
o monopoly and building a mo e democ a ic
economy. He is a leading oice in Canada’s
compe i ion policy con e sa ion, and his w i ing
and hinking ha e been ea u ed in The Globe and
Mail, Na ional Pos and To on o S a .
Keldon has wo ked as a special ad ise a
Canada’s Compe i ion Bu eau, as a ellow a
he Open Ma ke s Ins i u e and as a consul an
o o ganiza ions ac oss he Canadian
economy. He holds a mas e o public policy
deg ee om he Ha a d Kennedy School.
1Compe ing Ideas: Canada’s Compe i ion Re o m Con e sa ion
Canadians dese e open and compe i i e
ma ke s, whe e i ms a e able o succeed
o ail on hei own me i s. Un o una ely,
a p esen , he e a e signi ican subs an i e
challenges wi h he applica ion o he
abuse o dominance p o isions unde he
Ac , gi ing powe ul i ms undue abili y
o shape how compe i ion e ol es.
—Commissione o Compe i ion Ma hew
Boswell (Compe i ion Bu eau 2023a)
Execu i e Summa y
The Go e nmen o Canada has ecen ly concluded
a comp ehensi e e iew o and made ini ial
upda es o he co e o he coun y’s compe i ion
law amewo k, he Compe i ion Ac , which was
las e iewed in 2007. The ac — jus one componen
o Canada’s o e all economic policy — along wi h
economic ends and ecen e en s ha e b ough
inc eased sc u iny o he s a e o compe i ion
in Canada and he laws designed o p o ec and
p omo e i . Amid he ise o digi al pla o ms and
an explosion in he cos o li ing, compe i ion
has become a wa chwo d o policy make s and
e e yday Canadians alike. Bu despi e i s ele ance
o daily li e, he mechanics o compe i ion law a e
o en eso e ic — he domain o a hand ul o legal
and economic expe s. This kind o asymme y isks
excluding cons i uen s who should o he wise ha e
he oppo uni y o con ibu e o his impo an
public policy con e sa ion. In an a emp o coun e
his endency, his pape p o ides an o e iew o
he mo i a ion o a mo e e ec i e and mode n
compe i ion law, and b ie ly summa izes p e ious
e o m e o s o p o ide con ex o he quick
policy ac ion on he mode niza ion o Canada’s
compe i ion law. Re iewing and highligh ing a
hand ul o s akeholde s ha ha e pa icipa ed
publicly o da e, he pape conside s how di e en
con ibu o s ha e shi ed compa ed o pas
e o m ini ia i es and wha ha means o he
u u e o compe i ion policy making in Canada.
In oduc ion
Compe i ion has become a wa chwo d o economic
policy discussion in Canada. Amid a enewed ocus
on main aining and imp o ing a o dabili y, he
ede al go e nmen is econside ing he pa h aken
since he 1986 in oduc ion o he Compe i ion Ac ,
he componen o Canada’s compe i ion law policy
amewo k applied gene ally ac oss he economy.
While sec o s including ai a el, banking and
elecommunica ions ha e o he legisla i e laye s
(o “le e s”) ha add addi ional policy elemen s
go e ning hei associa ed ma ke places, he
Compe i ion Ac , en o ced by he Compe i ion
Bu eau, is a he hea o Canada’s app oach o
p o ec ing and p omo ing compe i ion. In he
wake o simila compe i ion e o m exe cises in
pee ju isdic ions, global mac oeconomic shi s
and high-p o ile glimpses in o he limi a ions
o he cu en amewo k, he cu en e iew o
he Compe i ion Ac is as imely as i is in ica e,
and is a imes con olu ed — a eali y ha isks
ex inguishing he conside able public ene gy
and in e es in seeing his law upda ed.
In he all o 2022, Minis e o Inno a ion, Science
and Indus y F ançois-Philippe Champagne
launched a public consul a ion1 on he Compe i ion
Ac cen ed on a subs an ial discussion pape ,
“The Fu u e o Compe i ion Policy in Canada”
(Inno a ion, Science and Economic De elopmen
Canada [ISED] 2022a). The publica ion can assed
he majo a eas o he exis ing legisla ion, posing
p obing ques ions h oughou o s akeholde s.
While he documen was an admi able a emp
o ansla e he eso e ic language o compe i ion
policy in o e e yday e ms, he discussion pape
p esen ed a subs an ial hu dle o indi iduals and
o ganiza ions ha we e no al eady well- e sed
on he law. The publica ion necessa ily uses e ms
o a such as “an i-compe i i e,” “unila e al
conduc ” and “compe i o collabo a ions”
wi hou o e ing u he con ex o elabo a ion.
None heless, he hemes ou lined in he discussion
pape poin o he mo e accessible ques ion
being asked a he hea o he consul a ion: Do
we ha e he igh powe s, ules and s a egies o
p o ec and p omo e compe i ion in Canada?
1 Bo h au ho s ha e pa icipa ed in cu en and p e ious consul a ions on
Canada’s compe i ion law and ha e ad oca ed o change o exis ing
legisla ion.
2CIGI Pape s No. 293 — Ap il 2024 • Vass Bedna and Keldon Bes e
The piece ansposed ha ques ion on o he
a ious dimensions o en o cemen ac i i y
ha he Compe i ion Ac enables Canada’s
compe i ion law en o ce , he Compe i ion
Bu eau, o adminis e , including:
→ A e he cons ain s on me ge s and acquisi ions
ha allow co po a ions o acqui e hei
compe i o s app op ia ely uned o p e en he
accumula ion o powe in a ma ke ?
→ Whe e ha powe has been ob ained, h ough
legi ima e o illegi ima e means, does Canada
ha e he igh au ho i y o p e en co po a ions
om using ha powe o dull he o ces o
compe i ion?
→ Does he law adequa ely conside he impac s o
co po a e conduc on compe i ion in he labou
ma ke — one in which nea ly e e y Canadian
pa icipa es?
Al hough oo ed in bu eauc a ic language,
hese ques ions go o he hea o he balances
o powe in he Canadian economy among
consume s, p oduce s and wo ke s; be ween
businesses ha domina e ma ke s and hose
ha challenge hem; and be ween es ablished
ma ke s and hose eme ging a ound hem.
By opening he discussion o undamen al
ques ions o he iabili y o Canada’s exis ing
amewo k o p o ec compe i ion, he
go e nmen has signalled a willingness o
change he di ec ion o a co e economic policy
amewo k. This comp ehensi e e iew and
open call o eedback has ca alyzed esponses
om a spec um o ich pe spec i es.
Canadians a e inc easingly esponding o he
consequences o an economy cha ac e ized
by a ew majo playe s in impo an ma ke s,
and an appa en slow d i owa d e en ewe
in he u u e (Compe i ion Bu eau 2023b).
Should compe i ion e ol e as a co ne s one o
Canada’s economic plan o he coming decades,
con ibu ions o he policy p ocess oday will
ha e had a hand in shaping ha e olu ion.
By oo ing he discussion in he impo ance o
compe i ion o he g ow h and i ali y o he
Canadian economy, e isi ing how engagemen on
he compe i ion policy ile has played ou in he
pas and su eying how he cu en consul a ion
compa es o p e ious policy exe cises, his pape
seeks o highligh some o he co e deba es ha
a e shaping wha he u u e o compe i ion in
Canada may look like in he coming decades.
Why Compe i ion Ma e s
Because o i s in eg a ion in o so many ace s o
economic li e, compe i ion has a mul idimensional
e ec on he li es o Canadians. Al hough hese
e ec s a e always p esen , ends and ecen e en s
ha e se ed o in ensi y he ocus on he ques ion
o Canada’s abili y o p o ec and adequa ely
p omo e compe i ion. In e na ionally, he e has
been a eckoning o so s wi h he accumula ed
powe o a hand ul o echnology i ms in
digi al ma ke s, and he policy condi ions unde
which ha powe was allowed o be a ained.
This policy ene gy coincided wi h a e iew and
eassessmen o he o e all s a e o compe i ion
in majo economies, led by he Uni ed S a es, and
made p esen in he li es o indi iduals ollowing
a igh ening o mac oeconomic condi ions.
Beginning wi h i s mul idimensional impac
on Canadians, in he mos amilia example,
compe i ion is a o ce ha can inc ease choice
and d i e p ices down o consume s. Al hough
o en amed by i s ele ance o pocke books,
he na u e o choice also speaks o he ques ion
o how well indi iduals and communi ies wi h
specialized needs a e se ed by he economy. Bu
he consequences o compe i ion (o lack he eo )
ex end well beyond he p ices Canadians pay o
goods and se ices. Compe i ion in he labou
ma ke — he balance o powe be ween employe s
and employees — se s he bounda ies o wages
and employmen oppo uni ies o wo ke s
ac oss he coun y. Heal hy labou compe i ion
means ha wo ke s cap u e mo e o he alue
hey gene a e and aises he s anda ds o he
ea men o wo ke s by p o iding exi op ions.
Open and con es able ma ke s — he ounda ion
o compe i ion — ma e o en ep eneu s and
businesses o all sizes, bu especially hose
s iking ou in he shadow o incumben s. By
main aining con es abili y, assump ions abou
he s a us quo in ma ke s a e challenged by
newcome s. Acco dingly, compe i ion is also he
p ocess h ough which inno a ion and he cycle o
ma ke s gene a e new ideas, goods and se ices,
and ways o conduc ing business. Al hough
9Compe ing Ideas: Canada’s Compe i ion Re o m Con e sa ion
oge he , he esponses en ision a la ge ole o
he Compe i ion Bu eau and go e nmen , including
e en he ac i e b eak-up o exis ing concen a ed
ma ke s and he opening o ma ke s p e iously
pe cei ed as being closed o o eign compe i ion.
Wha Does This Mean o
he Fu u e o Compe i ion
in Canada?
This scope o po en ial legisla i e e o m
pu o wa d in he mos ecen consul a ion
is conside able. Mul iple dimensions o he
Compe i ion Ac a e being econside ed o e ision,
and placing each o hese elemen s unde he
spo ligh has su aced a ange o pe spec i es
and objec ions ha ISED con inues o conside
ca e ully. While he depa men has sough o
shape he deba e h ough hei key consul a ion
ques ions, he e is an umb ella oppo uni y o
o he commen s ha many s akeholde s ha e
u ilized o sha e addi ional posi ions ha may
no i as a di ec esponse o he co e ques ion
se . This ou le c ea ed addi ional ichness o
policy make s o conside new, complemen a y
ideas ha a e p o-compe i i e and could be
add essed h ough he Compe i ion Ac o ano he ,
mo e app op ia e policy le e . In his way, he
e o m p ocess is s ill cla i ying; by highligh ing
key elemen s o con en ion, he e o m p ocess
can begin o add ess conce ns mo e di ec ly.
Tha said, as acknowledged in he “Wha We Hea d
Repo ,” a he ime o w i ing he e a e ew a eas
o ob ious consensus on he key ques ions ha
he minis y has posed. Whe e he e is gene al
consensus, i ends o be in ela ion o deba es
ha ha e been long-ongoing in Canada — some
ca ying o e om he 2008 Compe e o Win epo .
While he consul a ion has no esol ed all key
ques ions, i has b ough a en ion o hem
in a p oduc i e and anspa en manne . By
b inging a ange o issues o wa d, especially
in ligh o policy p og ess in pee ju isdic ions,
he consul a ion c ea ed he basis o he ede al
go e nmen o mo e o wa d on ini ial e o m o
he Compe i ion Ac . In he imescale o legisla i e
change, he esul ing ac ion and i s scale ha e
been imp essi e. Be o e he end o 2023, he
go e nmen had b ough in o o ce Compe i ion
Ac e o m wi h Bill C-56 and p oposed u he
changes o come in 2024 wi h Bill C-59 (see Box 1).
S epping back om he de ails o C-56 and C-59
allows o an assessmen o wha he bills mean in
he b oade con ex o Canada’s e ol ing app oach
o compe i ion law. One decision a oided o da e
is he ques ion o wha a new o ganizing p inciple
will be o Canada’s app oach o compe i ion law.
Gi en ha C-56 epeals he e iciency de ence
o me ge s, he e has ce ainly been a shi in
guiding ision, bu also a missed oppo uni y o
a icula e a new ision o Canadian compe i ion
law. Canada’s compe i ion law migh be leaning
owa d a pos -e iciency e a, bu he pu pose
clause o he Compe i ion Ac emains unchanged,
s ill including e iciency as one o i s goals. In
his way, while suppo e s o he s a us quo will
ce ainly no be pleased abou he comp ehensi e
e o ms, hey may ha e sco ed a mac o ic o y
in ha he ac has no made a wholesale b eak
wi h he pas . By lea ing he pu pose o he
Compe i ion Ac unchanged, legisla o s lea e
he goals o he nex e a o he Compe i ion
Ac open o ei he deba e o e enchmen .
While he guiding pu pose o he legisla ion
may emain he same, wha has eme ged is an
a icula ion o hose p inciples h ough a mo e
asse i e s ance agains he accumula ion and
exploi a ion o economic powe . Bo h he one o
he consul a ion discussion pape and amendmen s
o da e signal an unde s anding ha he cu en
ac has no gone a enough in his ega d. Gi ing
he bu eau g ea e powe s, expanding he ange
o conduc conside ed a iola ion o he ac and
emo ing p o isions ha aded o compe i ion
o o he policy goals, e lec he empe a u e o
he public con e sa ion as ep esen ed by he
go e nmen ’s summa y o he submissions o
indi idual Canadians. Despi e he o e all s uc u e
and pu pose o he Compe i ion Ac emaining
in place, his mo e asse i e s ance ep esen s
ano he b eak om he same kind o hinking ha
led o he e iciency ocus o Canada’s amewo k.
Wha emains o be seen, o cou se, is whe he
en o cemen , soon o be a decen alized accoun
o C-59, li es up o his pe cei ed b eak.
Tha he amewo k emains la gely in ac answe s
he same ques ion, albei mo e a ge ed, whe he
he ac can su icien ly add ess challenges aised
by la ge echnology i ms ha ha e spu ed
10 CIGI Pape s No. 293 — Ap il 2024 • Vass Bedna and Keldon Bes e
Box 1: Ini ial P oduc s o he Consul a ion (Bills C-56 and C-59)
A ime o w i ing, Bill C-56 had been passed in o law and Bill C-59 is se o be deba ed by
pa liamen a ians in ea ly 2024. While he de ails o C-59 may change as a esul o commi ee
ac i i y, i s p oposed o m is wo h conside ing ahead o po en ial amendmen s.
Bill C-56: Also known as he A o dable Housing and G oce ies Ac , Bill C-56*1 was abled
Sep embe 21, 2023. Al hough he bill ollowed he go e nmen ’s consul a ion and add essed
some issues aised by i , he mo i a ion o he bill is clea om i s i le. Responding o he cos -
o -li ing issues aced by Canadians, C-56 was amed as he go e nmen ’s i s s eps owa d
imp o ing compe i ion and a o dabili y. In i s o iginal o m, C-56 add essed wo long-s anding
issues wi h he Compe i ion Ac and one mo e unique one. By emo ing he e iciencies de ence
and p o iding he Compe i ion Bu eau wi h he au ho i y o compel in o ma ion o ma ke
s udies, C-56 b ings Canada’s compe i ion law in close alignmen wi h in e na ional pee s.
Gi en hei long enu e in he compe i ion policy deba e, he issue o e iciencies and ma ke
s udies was aised by a numbe o pa ies, wi h a gumen s concen a ed wi hin ci il socie y
g oups and academia. In addi ion o add essing issues subjec o yea s-long deba e, C-56 also
ed ew he p o isions agains ag eemen s ha educe compe i ion o allow o en o cemen
agains ag eemen s be ween companies ha a e no compe i o s bu educe compe i ion,
none heless. Al hough he e we e ecommenda ions aised o s eng hen he app oach agains
an i-compe i i e ag eemen s in gene al, no ably by he Compe i ion Bu eau, he ocus on he
ela ionship be ween compe i o s was likely d awn om popula news co e age o he impac o
hese ag eemen s on compe i ion in he g oce y sec o in a highly localized con ex .
A e lec ion o he c oss-pa y suppo o s onge compe i ion law in Canada, C-56 was
s eng hened ma e ially by amendmen s om he o he h ee majo ede al pa ies as i
p og essed h ough he S anding Commi ee on Finance. While he mos ma e ial amendmen s,
expanding he scope and penal ies o abuse o dominance, o igina ed om he New Democ a ic
Pa y, he Conse a i es and Bloc Québécois included impo an amendmen s o emo e shadow
e iciency de ences in o he a eas o he law and include language o cap u e excessi e p icing as
an abuse o dominance. E en while ope a ing ou side o he go e nmen ’s consul a ion p ocess,
opposi ion pa ies clea ly d ew om he con en o he consul a ion o in o m hei amendmen s.
In pa icula , he b oadening o he abuse o dominance p o isions d ew on alignmen be ween
he Compe i ion Bu eau and ci il socie y g oups on he limi a ion o he exis ing law.
Bill C-59: While Bill C-56 was a ge ed in i s amendmen s o he Compe i ion Ac , Bill C-59 akes a
mo e comp ehensi e app oach, ouching almos e e y a ea o compe i ion law en o cemen while
main aining he s uc u e o he exis ing amewo k. As pa o an omnibus bill o implemen he
2023 Fall Economic S a emen , he Compe i ion Ac componen s come alongside o he indi ec
changes o he ole o compe i ion in Canada’s economic policy, including open banking and
employee owne ship.
Possibly mos consequen ial o he u u e o he de elopmen o Canada’s compe i ion policy
amewo k is he opening o access and inclusion o damages o p i a e pa ies o b ing hei
own cases unde he Compe i ion Ac (o en e e ed o as “p i a e access igh s”). In he Uni ed
S a es, p i a e pa ies play a majo ole in he de elopmen o compe i ion law ju isp udence, a
componen ha has been la gely absen in he Canadian con ex . By decen alizing en o cemen
o he Compe i ion Ac , C-59 se s he s age o an inc eased pace o cases and iche body o case
law going o wa d. Ad oca es o his kind o change h ough he consul a ion e lec ed segmen s
* Bill C-56, An Ac o amend he Excise Tax Ac and he Compe i ion Ac , 1s Sess, 44 h Pa l, 2023, online: Pa liamen o Canada
<www.pa l.ca/Documen Viewe /en/44-1/bill/C-56/ oyal-assen >.
11Compe ing Ideas: Canada’s Compe i ion Re o m Con e sa ion
ac ion by in e na ional pee s. Responden s we e
di ided on whe he and how he ac may be e
add ess such issues o whe he ne new “b igh -
line” legisla ion should be in oduced o di ec ly
add ess “big ech.” He e, hose ad oca ing o
ei he he s a us quo o emedy ia an enhanced
compe i ion law amewo k a he han a ge ed
egula ion we e hea d he clea es . So a a leas ,
Canada is keeping he designa ion o ce ain
beha iou s as inhe en ly p oblema ic o he
able, keeping in place an app oach ha p ices
case-by-case in es iga ion and esolu ion. Should
his app oach no bea ui , policy make s migh
begin o conside building ou new amewo ks
a he han expanding he scope o exis ing
ones as some in e na ional pee s ha e done.
Focusing on he ins i u ions esponsible o
en o cing and adjudica ing he Compe i ion
Ac , he ole o he Compe i ion Bu eau and
he Compe i ion T ibunal has la gely been
passed o e in his cu en ound o e o ms.
Submissions imagine a Compe i ion Bu eau wi h
mo e independen decision-making powe as in
ju isdic ions such as he Uni ed Kingdom and he
Eu opean Union, while o he s s enuously a gued
ha hese powe s should emain he emi o he
cou s. So a , he decision-making powe o he
Compe i ion Bu eau and Compe i ion T ibunal
has been kep as is, bu whe he his emains
he case as he p i a e access egime b ough in
h ough C-59 akes shape emains o be seen. By
decen alizing en o cemen o he Compe i ion
Ac , legisla o s may be se ing he able o a
u u e look a he ins i u ions suppo ing he
e ec i e ope a ion o his legal amewo k.
Box 1 (con inued):
o he legal communi y, membe s o he business communi y and ci il socie y o ganiza ions who
no ed he s ain on he bu eau’s abili y o adminis e he ac as he sole ede al en o ce o he
Compe i ion Ac .
Companies b inging hei own cases will ha e access o bols e ed laws agains ag eemen s ha
ha m compe i ion. Lacking he abili y o pu sue pas ag eemen s and le y inancial penal ies,
p o isions agains an i-compe i i e ag eemen s ha do no ise o he s anda d o c iminal ca el
en o cemen wen e ec i ely unused by he Compe i ion Bu eau. While no included in he new
p i a e access egime, C-59 makes impo an changes o he me ge en o cemen amewo k,
a guably he mos p ominen elemen o Canada’s compe i ion law, especially in he wake o
me ge s such as Roge s-Shaw and RBC-HSBC Canada. In addi ion o inc easing he scope o he
Compe i ion Bu eau o in e ene agains ha m ul me ge s, C-59 emo es ba ie s o he bu eau
o conside s uc u al ac o s such as ma ke sha es in compe i ion analysis and make explici
he go e nmen ’s desi e o impac s on labou ma ke s o be aken in o accoun when assessing
me ge s. He e, he inco po a ion o labou as a ac o ep esen s he ecogni ion o he con ibu ion
o ci il socie y o ganiza ions, pa icula ly o ganized labou , and he ex ension o he policy
discou se on labou and compe i ion ha spu ed he 2022 amendmen s.
Re lec ing he ongoing discussion on he in e sec ion be ween compe i ion law and en i onmen al
policy goals, C-59 also c ea es a p ocess o he Compe i ion Bu eau o au ho ize ag eemen s
be ween compe i o s wi h an en i onmen al pu pose, so long as hey a e judged no o educe
compe i ion. P esen in selec submissions om he legal communi y and ci il socie y, he
inclusion o en i onmen al au ho iza ions is an example o he go e nmen ’s e o m e o s
e lec ing no jus he con en o he consul a ion bu also wide policy con e sa ions occu ing
ou side o i .
12 CIGI Pape s No. 293 — Ap il 2024 • Vass Bedna and Keldon Bes e
Looking o Compe i ion
beyond he Compe i ion
Ac
Al hough his discussion has mimicked he ocus
o he Fu u e o Compe i ion Policy in Canada
consul a ion by p io i izing analysis o he
Compe i ion Ac , a numbe o policy le e s ha e
he po en ial o a ec he pa h o compe i ion
in Canada. In a ecen speech, Commissione o
Compe i ion Ma hew Boswell (2023) poin ed o a
“whole-o -go e nmen app oach” o compe i ion in
Canada. The bu eau has long called o he inclusion
o compe i ion assessmen s in policy decisions
as a mechanism o p omo e he conside a ion o
whe he and how a decision will in luence whe he
and how a policy impac s compe i ion (Compe i ion
Bu eau Canada 2020b). Legisla i e modi ica ions
o one piece o legisla ion alone may no ha e
es o a i e e ec s in he immedia e e m. Fo his
eason, p oponen s o his whole-o -go e nmen
app oach echo US P esiden Joe Biden’s his o ic
Execu i e O de on P omo ing Compe i ion in he
Ame ican Economy, which con ains 72 di e en
ac ions ela ed o compe i ion ac oss a ange
o ede al agencies (The Whi e House 2021).
I seems likely ha he u u e o compe i ion
policy in Canada will be mo e comp ehensi e,
ex ending beyond he ac o complemen a y
ac i i ies and in e en ions in di e en minis ies
and ac oss o de s o go e nmen . To ha end,
Canada al eady has a sui e o p omising ac i i ies
ha could se e as he ounda ion o such an
app oach. Fo ins ance, wo signi ican bills om
He i age Canada seek o add ess he ma ke
powe o majo echnology companies and i s
consequences o Canadian cul u al and media
ma ke s: Bill C-18 ( he Online News Ac ) and
Bill C-11 ( he Online S eaming Ac ). The bu eau
al eady has 24 memo anda o unde s anding wi h
domes ic pa ne s ha ha e a sha ed in e es in
p omo ing compe i ion and ai ma ke places, and
16 wi h o he ju isdic ions, laying he g oundwo k
o ongoing c oss-sec o al and in e na ional
collabo a ion. Also empowe ing he bu eau o
collabo a e mo e e ec i ely is he Canadian
Digi al Regula o s Fo um, linking he bu eau wi h
he P i acy Commissione and he head o he
Canadian Radio- ele ision and Telecommunica ions
Commission, each wi h a hand in guiding
he u u e o digi al ma ke s. Canada is also
midway h ough legisla i e e o s ela ed o
open banking and paymen mode niza ion,
which will imp o e consume choice and
acili a e new en an s in he banking sec o .
Bu he ede al go e nmen is no alone in i s
push o os e ing g ea e compe i ion in Canada.
The p o ince o On a io has shown leade ship
on ele an compe i ion issues, banning non-
compe es in labou ag eemen s in he summe
o 2022 and mo e ecen ly ackling subsc ip ion
aps by gi ing consume s he igh o escind
a con ac o one yea a e en e ing i . The
p o ince o Quebec has also pu o wa d legisla ion
suppo ing he igh o epo , educing he hold
ha echnology companies ha e o e cus ome
pu chases and opening up oppo uni ies o
independen se ice p o ide s (Se eb in 2023).
Occu ing ou side he legisla u e, he e a e also a
numbe o class ac ion lawsui s s emming om
he e ela ion o alleged p ice- ixing ac i i y in
he g oce y space, wi h mea packe s in Quebec a
a ge appa en ly beyond he scope o he bu eau’s
own in es iga ion. In a simila ein, he No h
Ame ican MyMe ch campaign is gaining ac ion
in Canada o ebalance he ela ionship be ween
musicians and he consolida ed enues hey ely
on o access audiences.7 Al hough hese e o s a e
no nea ly as coo dina ed as Biden’s execu i e o de
on compe i ion, hey a e a snapsho o e o s in
Canada beyond he Compe i ion Ac o c ea e mo e
compe i i e and di e se ma ke s ac oss he coun y.
Conclusion
Amid a his o ic in la iona y pe iod ha has
ca alyzed a cos -o -li ing c isis, he po en ial o
compe i ion law amendmen s ha can be e
go e n i m beha iou is ga ne ing conside able
and consis en a en ion om ede al poli ical
pa ies. Bu beyond eme gen economic issues,
he po en ial o a g ea e ocus on compe i ion
speaks o longe - unning issues in he Canadian
economy. Today, Canada anks se en een h
among membe s o he O ganisa ion o Economic
Co-ope a ion and De elopmen ega ding
he pe cen age o GDP spen on esea ch and
7 See h ps://wea eumaw.o g/news/myme ch-campaign-launch.
13Compe ing Ideas: Canada’s Compe i ion Re o m Con e sa ion
de elopmen (R&D), one indica o o in es men
in inno a ion, and among he lowes o G7
pee s.8 Fu he , Canadian i ms ha e his o ically
unde in es ed in R&D (Pa kinson 2023). I i is
he case ha a la en lack o compe i ion means
i ms a e no compelled o ake on he ha d wo k
o ac ually inno a ing, mode nizing Canada’s
compe i ion law — and a g ea e ocus on
compe i ion in gene al — could be an impo an
pa o sol ing Canada’s p oduc i i y “puzzle.”
P e ious consul a ions on compe i ion in
Canada co ec ly unde s ood ha he e is mo e
o os e ing and p o ec ing compe i ion han
simply upda ing he Compe i ion Ac , as o he
policy decisions can ha e signi ican implica ions
o ma ke s. Bu as he sole piece o pu ely
compe i ion- ocused legisla ion, he ac is a
keys one: impo an no only as he gua d ails o
ai comme ce in Canada bu also a signal o he
ole o compe i ion in he economy. Who shapes
ha law and how hey shape i has implica ions
o he u u e s uc u e o ma ke s and how hey
gene a e and dis ibu e he spoils o he i al y
ha o ms he ounda ion o Canada’s economy.
I is clea ha he consul a ion on he Fu u e
o Compe i ion in Canada was unable o be a
consensus-building exe cise ac oss s akeholde s.
Submissions o he consul a ion pain ed a di e se
bu e ec i ely bi u ca ed pa h. One side a gues o
ma ginal — i any — amendmen o he cu en
app oach, while hose in a ou o e o m o e
an a ay o u u e di ec ions o he legisla ion
o ake. Howe e , ecen yea s ha e shown ha
he e is no one single oppo uni y o cha he
cou se o Canada’s compe i ion law. I may be
ha eshaping he Compe i ion Ac is an i e a i e
ac i i y o yea s o come, as a new logic ha
can unde pin ou legisla i e app oach eme ges
and is used o e ine Canada’s economic policy.
As he ou comes o he consul a ion exe cise
con inue o ake shape, i is impo an o ecognize
he impo an wo k Canada has unde aken by
subjec ing a key piece o economic policy o
public sc u iny and deba e. A ac ing dispa a e
oices om indus y, go e nmen , ci il socie y
and academia, he go e nmen has aced he
ask o ansla ing hose oices in o he u u e o
compe i ion in Canada. Nea ly ou decades a e i s
las majo e o m, he u u e de elopmen pa h o
8 See h ps://da a.oecd.o g/ d/g oss-domes ic-spending-on- -d.h m.
he Compe i ion Ac and compe i ion law in Canada
may ins ead be one o ongoing and i e a i e e o m.
14 CIGI Pape s No. 293 — Ap il 2024 • Vass Bedna and Keldon Bes e
Wo ks Ci ed
Akcigi , U uk, Wenjie Chen, Fede ico J. Díez, Romain Du al,
Philipp Engle , Jiayue Fan, Chia a Maggi e al. 2021. “Rising
Co po a e Ma ke Powe : Eme ging Policy Issues.” IMF S a
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S a -Discussion-No es/Issues/2021/03/10/Rising-
Co po a e-Ma ke -Powe -Eme ging-Policy-Issues-48619.
Boswell, Ma hew. 2023. “A whole-o -go e nmen app oach
o p omo ing compe i ion.” Rema ks om Ma hew
Boswell, Commissione o Compe i ion, a Canada’s
Compe i ion Summi , Oc obe 5. www.canada.ca/en/
compe i ion-bu eau/news/2023/10/a-whole-o -
go e nmen -app oach- o-p omo ing-compe i ion.h ml.
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om ma ke pa icipan s o in o m an ongoing in es iga ion
o Amazon.” News elease, Augus 14. www.canada.
ca/en/compe i ion-bu eau/news/2020/08/
compe i ion-bu eau-seeks-inpu - om-ma ke -pa icipan s-
o-in o m-an-ongoing-in es iga ion-o -amazon.h ml.
———. 2020b. “S eng hening Canada’s economy h ough
p o-compe i i e policies: A s ep-by-s ep guide o
compe i ion assessmen .” Augus 20. O awa, ON:
ISED. h ps://ised-isde.canada.ca/si e/compe i ion-
bu eau-canada/en/how-we- os e -compe i ion/
educa ion-and-ou each/publica ions/s eng hening-
canadas-economy- h ough-p o-compe i i e-policies.
———. 2021. “Compe i ion Bu eau ob ains cou o de o
ad ance an in es iga ion o Google.” News elease,
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news/2021/10/compe i ion-bu eau-ob ains-cou -
o de - o-ad ance-an-in es iga ion-o -google.h ml.
———. 2023a. “The Fu u e o Compe i ion Policy in Canada.”
Submission by he Compe i ion Bu eau. Ma ch 15. O awa,
ON: ISED. h ps://ised-isde.canada.ca/si e/compe i ion-
bu eau-canada/en/how-we- os e -compe i ion/
p omo ion-and-ad ocacy/ egula o y-ad icein e en ions-
compe i ion-bu eau/ u u e-compe i ion-policy-canada.
———. 2023b. Compe i ion in Canada om 2000 o
2020: An Economy a a C oss oads. Oc obe 19.
O awa, ON: ISED. h ps://ised-isde.canada.ca/
si e/compe i ion-bu eau-canada/en/how-we- os e -
compe i ion/educa ion-and-ou each/compe i ion-
canada-2000-2020-economy-c oss oads.
———. 2023c. Canada Needs Mo e G oce y Compe i ion.
Compe i ion Bu eau Re ail G oce y Ma ke S udy Repo .
O awa, ON: ISED. h ps://ised-isde.canada.ca/
si e/compe i ion-bu eau-canada/en/how-we-
os e -compe i ion/educa ion-and-ou each/
canada-needs-mo e-g oce y-compe i ion.
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collec ion_2008/ic/Iu173-1-2008E.pd .
De Loecke , Jan, Jan Eeckhou and Gab iel Unge . 2020.
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135 (2): 561–644. h ps://academic.oup.com/
qje/a icle/135/2/561/5714769.
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Powe .” News elease, Sep embe 26. www. c.go /
news-e en s/news/p ess- eleases/2023/09/ c-sues-
amazon-illegally-main aining-monopoly-powe .
Iacobucci, Edwa d M. 2021. “Examining he Canadian Compe i ion
Ac in he Digi al E a.” Sep embe 27. h ps://sencanada.ca/
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he-digi al-e a-en-pd .pd .
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s a egic-policy-sec o /en/ma ke place- amewo k-policy/
compe i ion-policy/ u u e-compe i ion-policy-canada.
———. 2022b. “Guide o he 2022 amendmen s o he
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se ices-canada-and- o eign-ju isdic ions-2022.
———. 2023b. “Consul a ions on he u u e o compe i ion policy
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15Compe ing Ideas: Canada’s Compe i ion Re o m Con e sa ion
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planned-obsolescence-bill-quebec-1.6862121.
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67 E b S ee Wes
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