Competition Bureau

Competition Bureau seeks feedback on new guidance related to wage fixing and no-poaching agreements

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Bureau, Government, Competition Act, Interest, Competition Bureau, Government of Canada, Act, QC

GATINEAU, QC, Jan. 18, 2023 /CNW/ - The Competition Bureau is inviting interested parties to provide comments on new guidelines to address wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements following recent amendments to the Competition Act.

Key Points: 
  • GATINEAU, QC, Jan. 18, 2023 /CNW/ - The Competition Bureau is inviting interested parties to provide comments on new guidelines to address wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements following recent amendments to the Competition Act.
  • In June 2022, the Government of Canada added subsection 45(1.1) to the Act to protect competition in labour markets.
  • When the amendment comes into force, wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements will become illegal and subject to significant criminal penalties in Canada.
  • Much like other agreements between competitors, such as price fixing, wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements undermine competition.

Donald Houston joins the Competition Bureau Legal Services as Senior General Counsel

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 16, 2023
McCarthy, Peripheral Interchange Program, Senior General Counsel, Competition Bureau, Private law, Government of Canada, Government, Competition, Knowledge, Senior, Justice, CBLS, Public, Court, Policy, Commissioner, Federal Public Service Economy, Federal Government of Belgium, Federal Court of Canada, Competition Tribunal, Law of Canada, Department of Justice (Canada), Public Prosecution Service of Canada, Supreme court, Federal court, Bureau, QC

GATINEAU, QC, Jan. 16, 2023 /CNW/ - The Commissioner of Competition is pleased to announce that Donald B. Houston is bringing his extensive experience and expertise in Canadian competition law and litigation to the Competition Bureau.

Key Points: 
  • GATINEAU, QC, Jan. 16, 2023 /CNW/ - The Commissioner of Competition is pleased to announce that Donald B. Houston is bringing his extensive experience and expertise in Canadian competition law and litigation to the Competition Bureau.
  • Effective today, Mr. Houston starts a two-year term as Senior General Counsel with the Competition Bureau Legal Services (CBLS) and legal advisor to the Commissioner of Competition.
  • Mr. Houston is recognized as a leading expert in competition law and litigation in Canada.
  • "We are very fortunate to add Don to the Competition Bureau Legal Services team.

Minister Champagne must block the Rogers-Shaw merger and deny Vidéotron bid for Freedom Mobile

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
CRTC, Rogers, Competition, Federal court, Freedom Mobile, Federal Court of Appeal, Competition Tribunal, Competition Bureau, Internet service provider, Bell, Freedom, Cabinet, Shaw, Science, Distributel, TekSavvy

The Competition Bureau appealed the tribunal's decision to the Federal Court of Appeal, to be heard January 24th.

Key Points: 
  • The Competition Bureau appealed the tribunal's decision to the Federal Court of Appeal, to be heard January 24th.
  • "Minister Champagne must block this anticompetitive deal - or they will soon squeeze out remaining ISPs and hike consumer prices even higher."
  • TekSavvy has said federal approval for the merger must be contingent upon first enacting the CRTC's 2019 decision to lower its regulated rates.
  • However, in May of 2022, Minister Champagne declined to implement the CRTC decision and instead endorsed much higher regulated rates, as requested by Rogers and Bell.

Contractors in Brandon, Manitoba, charged with conspiracy related to social housing projects

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 19, 2022
Bureau, Competition, Brandon, Competition Bureau, Immunity, Manitoba Housing Authority, Housing, Drug, Auction

The Bureau acknowledges the extensive assistance it received from the Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation, and the Brandon Police Service during the course of its investigation.

Key Points: 
  • The Bureau acknowledges the extensive assistance it received from the Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation, and the Brandon Police Service during the course of its investigation.
  • "Manipulating contracts to suppress competition is a serious crime.
  • It results in higher costs for construction projects and is especially concerning when it comes to affordable housing.
  • Earlier this year , the Bureau released its Collusion Risk Assessment Tool to help procurement agents in Canada protect their processes from bid-rigging.

Plains All American Announces Sale of Minority Ownership Interest in Keyera Fort Saskatchewan Joint Venture

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Plains All American Pipeline, Security (finance), Sale, Competition Bureau, Transport, Plant, Propane, PAA, KFS, NGL, Partnership, Oil, Petroleum, Keyera, Plain

“Today’s win-win announcement allows us to monetize our 21% ownership of the KFS JV, while improving key connectivity for our Plains Fort Saskatchewan facility,” stated Willie Chiang, Chairman and CEO of Plains All American.

Key Points: 
  • “Today’s win-win announcement allows us to monetize our 21% ownership of the KFS JV, while improving key connectivity for our Plains Fort Saskatchewan facility,” stated Willie Chiang, Chairman and CEO of Plains All American.
  • “The sale proceeds will be utilized to further lower our leverage, strengthen our financial positioning and potentially reinvest in capital-efficient expansions and improvements at the Plains Fort Saskatchewan facility.”
    The divestiture includes all of Plains’ interest in the Keyera Fort Saskatchewan facility.
  • Plains’ Fort Saskatchewan facility is located near Edmonton, Alberta, one of the key North American NGL hubs, which consists of several different facilities and pipeline assets.
  • As previously disclosed, Plains is evaluating cost-efficient expansions of the Plains’ Fort Saskatchewan facility.

Representing Stand.earth, lawyers file letter opposing RBC buyout of HSBC, citing climate and competition concerns

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 8, 2022
Ecojustice Canada, Superintendent, HSBC, RBC, Financial institution, Letter, Royal Bank of Canada, Climate, Stand.earth, OSFI, Advertising Standards Authority, Environment, Advertising, Climate change, CAD, Competition Bureau, Renewable energy

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Citing greenwashing and climate concerns, environmental law charity Ecojustice, representing Stand.earth, submitted a letter to Canadian Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland opposing Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)'s bid to purchase HSBC's Canadian unit for CAD $13 billion, unless there are conditions to restrict greenwashing and manage climate change risks.

Key Points: 
  • Copies have been sent to Canada's Competition Bureau, financial regulatory body the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), two UK regulators, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault.
  • Misleading consumers and making false climate promises while financing the primary driver of climate change is not in the best interests of Canadians or the financial system.
  • Canada's Competition Bureau officially launched an investigation into RBC's alleged misleading climate advertising after six members of the public submitted a formal complaint .
  • Similarly, in October the Advertising Standards Authority of the UK banned HSBC climate-related ads after concluding that they were misleading consumers.

Competition Bureau makes recommendations for empowering Canadian health care providers in the digital era

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 24, 2022
Policy, Competition Bureau, Physician, Competition, Medical device, Health insurance, Dietary supplement, QC, Bureau

Empowering health care providers in the digital era , is the third and final report published as part of the Bureau's digital health care market study.

Key Points: 
  • Empowering health care providers in the digital era , is the third and final report published as part of the Bureau's digital health care market study.
  • (sources: Canada Health Infoway; Virtual Care Taskforce)
    The final report makes three recommendations to Canadian governments and policymakers to enable health care providers to take advantage of the forces of competition:
    Review existing health care provider payment models to support the appropriate use of digital health care.
  • Empowering health care providers to use the best available digital technologies will lead to lower costs, better health care services, and improved patient outcomes.
  • By facilitating greater adoption of digital health care solutions, Canadians can benefit from increased health care access, lower costs, and better health outcomes."

Competition Bureau obtains court order to advance investigation into Dufresne Furniture's marketing practices

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Federal Court of Canada, Ashley HomeStore, The Competition Act, 2002, Bureau, Record, Competition Bureau, Marketing, Competition Act, Competition, Sale, Federal court, Appliance, Retail, Public relations

The Competition Bureau has obtained a court order to advance its inquiry into The Dufresne Group, Inc. and its affiliates, which operate through the retail banners Dufresne Furniture and Appliances and certain Ashley Furniture HomeStores in Canada.

Key Points: 
  • The Competition Bureau has obtained a court order to advance its inquiry into The Dufresne Group, Inc. and its affiliates, which operate through the retail banners Dufresne Furniture and Appliances and certain Ashley Furniture HomeStores in Canada.
  • The Bureau is looking to determine if their marketing practices raise concerns under the civil deceptive marketing provisions of the Competition Act.
  • The order grantedby the Federal Court of Canada on November 10, 2022, requires The Dufresne Group, Inc., and its affiliates (TDG Furniture, Inc., DFA Operations, Inc. and Furniture Investment Group, Inc.) to produce records and information relevant to the Bureau's investigation.
  • The misleading advertising provisions of the Competition Actprohibit making any kind of false or misleading claim to promote a product, service or business interest.

Statement from Minister Champagne on the launch of the Competition Act review

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Competition Bureau, Policy, The Honourable, Competition, Competition Act, The Act, Renewable energy, Act, Science

"Earlier this year, I announced my intention to carefully evaluate ways to improve and reinforce the Competition Act .

Key Points: 
  • "Earlier this year, I announced my intention to carefully evaluate ways to improve and reinforce the Competition Act .
  • The first step in modernizing the Competition Act was to make the targeted improvements announced in Budget 2022.
  • These changes addressed shortcomings in the Act and have brought Canada more in line with international best practices, including by increasing penalties for companies that contravene the Act.
  • This is why we welcome all comments providing perspectives or evidence concerning these issues, and options to improve the Act.

COP27 UN "Credible" Plan to Meet NetZero with No Greenwashing is a "Boom and Fizzle" Demolished by Finnish Materials Study says Friends of Science

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 10, 2022
Zero, Report, Review, Road, Open letter, Carbon, Climate change, NGFS, COP26, Build Back Better, McKenna, Friends of Science, Weather, Copper, Too Far, Literature, Geological Survey of Finland, CO2, National Observer, UN, Ecojustice Canada, Financial system, State observer, Friends, Growth, Outline, Paris Agreement, COP27, Area studies, Paris, Compliance, JPMorgan Chase, Climate, Contract, National, Government, Deutsche Bank, Geology, Royal Bank of Canada, University, NetZero, Carbon accounting, Competition Bureau, Associate, Science Society of China, G20, Industry, UNFCCC, Lithium, Competition, Renewable energy, Agriculture, Science

CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --  As reported by the National Observer, Nov. 08, 2022, the UN High Level Expert Group (HLEG) led by Catherine McKenna, claims to outline a credible plan to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions to prevent greenwashing, but Friends of Science says the UN HLEG forgot to do a feasibility study; a Finnish materials study by Simon Michaux renders the UN greenwashing report moot and a 'boom and fizzle.' Friends of Science Society expresses concern over the evermore tyrannical tone of demands for mandatory reporting and NetZero compliance, when it is a physical impossibility.

Key Points: 
  • Friends of Science Society expresses concern over the evermore tyrannical tone of demands for mandatory reporting and NetZero compliance, when it is a physical impossibility.
  • Friends of Science have issued an Open Letter to the Competition Bureau exposing the fallacy of the charges, one fact being that NetZero targets are unattainable, confirmed by Simon Michaux's comprehensive study.
  • The CLINTEL group of more than 1400 scientists and scholars say there is no climate emergency; natural factors drive climate change.
  • Friends of Science Society is an independent group of earth, atmospheric and solar scientists, engineers, and citizens that is celebrating its 20th year of offering climate science insights.