Written Submission to the Senate Pre-Study of Bill C-59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act

Bill C-59 marks an important strengthening of Canada’s Competition Act, the keystone of
federal legislation protecting and promoting competition across the economy. Building on
the recently passed Bill C-56, C-59 moves Canada further away from the competition law
framework that has driven consolidation and reduced choice and competition for
Canadian consumers, workers, and businesses.

In its’ written submission CAMP highlights how C-59:

• Decentralizes enforcement of the Competition Act through meaningful private access;
• Emphasizes the role of market structure and effects on labour markets in mergers;
• Creates meaningful penalties for anticompetitive agreements, and
• Promotes environmental policy goals while preserving competition

To better protect competition and Canadians, CAMP recommends C-59 is amended to introduce structural presumptions against mergers in already concentrated industries and immunize the Competition Bureau against cost awards to major corporations.

Read CAMP’s full written submission to the Senate Standing Committee on National Finance here.