Canada Needs More Competition скачать в хорошем качестве

Canada Needs More Competition

Disponible en français au:    • La concurrence est plus importante que jamais   Speech: Pre-recorded remarks from Matthew Boswell, Commissioner of Competition Canadian Bar Association Competition Law Fall Conference October 20, 2021 (As prepared for delivery) Transcript Visual: Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell speaking. Audio: Good afternoon and thank you for inviting me to speak at this year’s Fall CBA competition law conference. [0:07: Commissioner repeats previous sentence in French.] Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that I am recording this message to you from the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People, and I am grateful to be speaking to you from these lands. It’s unfortunate that we have to gather again remotely. While I know we would rather be meeting in person, these discussions are essential, especially as Canada pivots from pandemic crisis management to economic recovery. This year’s conference serves to raise awareness of the power competition can play in building a more prosperous Canada. As I’ve said before in various settings, Competition matters. It is a key catalyst of productivity and economic growth. It attracts investment, stimulates the creation of high-skilled jobs and fuels exports of Canadian products, services, and ideas. [1:22: Commissioner repeats previous paragraph in French.] In simpler terms, • Competitive prices and product choices matter to consumers, particularly those struggling to make ends meet in the wake of the pandemic. • Competitive wages and employment opportunities matter to workers, particularly those who remain unemployed or underemployed. • Open and contestable markets matter to entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes, but especially to small- and medium-sized enterprises who were among the hardest hit by the pandemic and who will need to reopen and expand in order to replace lost jobs. • Competitive markets are also important to governments and taxpayers, who expect value for money on increased spending in the near-term, and who will want to grow the economy to pay down national debt over the longer-term. Today, competition matters more than ever. In Canada, a robust competition policy agenda will be critical to rebuilding stronger, more resilient and more inclusive economies from coast to coast to coast. [3:13: Commissioner repeats previous paragraph in French.] Globally, we are witnessing a dramatic international shift towards more aggressive enforcement of competition laws. This includes sweeping proposals to review and revamp existing competition laws. Governments around the world are looking for ambitious solutions to not only drive recovery efforts, but to tackle legacy challenges and build back better. We are seeing new policies that put competition at the heart of economic recovery and growth, particularly in digital markets. Since I took over as Commissioner in 2018, you have heard me express serious concerns about our budget. In short, to successfully fulfill our mandate, I believed the Bureau needed more resources. I’m pleased to say that the Bureau will receive an additional $96 million dollars over the next 5 years and $27.5 million per year ongoing. As such, for us, the next few years will bring about welcome change and growth. [4:53: Commissioner repeats previous paragraph in French.] We have earmarked three key areas for investment: • We will increase our capacity to take on new and more complex anticompetitive conduct, especially in digital markets. This includes the creation of a new Digital Enforcement and Intelligence Branch. This Branch will grow to become a centre of expertise on technology and data and act as an early-warning system for potential competition issues in the digital and traditional economies; • We will strengthen our enforcement teams by hiring more people, including bringing on more litigation capacity, and external experts; and, • We will enhance our capacity to advocate for pro-competitive regulatory and policy changes at all levels of government in Canada. [6:15: Commissioner repeats previous bullet list in French.] We are excited to put these funds to work to benefit Canadians. This is good news for consumers and businesses who will benefit from more timely and robust action to protect the public interest. However, I do want to clarify a point. The Bureau’s merger review program will not benefit directly from these changes, as it’s funded entirely through filing fees. Merger reviews have become more expensive and complex, particularly in light of recent court decisions. There will be another merger filing fee review in less than two years and this will provide an opportunity to properly fund operations in line with current realities and demands. Full transcript available at: https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/e...