 | Minister of Industry Tables Amendments to the Competition Act |
November-8-2004
| Area | Competition, Antitrust and Foreign Investment |
Summary
On November 2, 2004, the Honourable David Emerson, Minister of Industry, tabled amendments to the Competition Act. The amendments introduce significant penalties for abuse of dominance in any industry and dramatically increase the penalties for deceptive marketing practices. In addition, the amendments would give the Court the power to order advertisers to pay restitution to consumers for false or misleading representations. These changes, if adopted, will increase the need for an effective competition law compliance program.
Given the circumstances of a minority Government, there is no certainty that these amendments will become law. However, the Government indicated its desire to amend the Competition Act in the recent Speech from the Throne and has introduced these amendments very early in its mandate. These actions indicate that the Government is committed to changing the Act.
