Canadian Government Consults On Far-Reaching Changes To Canada's Competition Law

Canada's federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry formally announced on November 17, 2022 that the federal government is launching a comprehensive review of the Competition Act (Act) and Canadian competition policy. This announcement follows through on the Minister's previous indications that significant reforms were in the works, and comes after the government enacted more limited but nevertheless significant amendments to the Act in June 2022.

The government's objective in commencing the review is to invite a wide-ranging discussion on whether Canada's current competition enforcement framework is "fit for purpose" and can "stand up to new challenges" brought about by the digital transformation of the Canadian economy. The review will cover a broad array of topics and could set the stage for very significant changes to Canada's competition laws. If implemented, many of the changes being discussed would have important implications for conducting