Exploring policy approaches to unlock competition
October 5, 2023
To achieve long-term economic growth and prosperity, many countries around the world have identified the need to integrate competition considerations into all of their regulatory and policy development processes.
At Canada’s Competition Summit 2023, the Competition Bureau will host domestic and international experts to explore how competition considerations can be factored into policy development across all levels of Canadian government.
Join us on October 5, 2023, as expert panelists and speakers discuss:
- Canada’s current economic landscape;
- the main barriers to competition in Canada;
- Canadians’ diverse perspectives on competition issues in Canada; and
- building a whole-of-government competition agenda.
On this page
Register to attend
To attend the Summit virtually, please register online.
In-person attendance at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa is by invitation only.
Agenda
Please note that all times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time.
Additional speakers may be included at a later date.
8:30 a.m.
Lobby opens for virtual participants
In-person participants arrive at the National Arts Center in Ottawa
Coffee available, networking opportunity
9:00 a.m.
Opening remarks by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
9:25 a.m.
Remarks by the Commissioner of Competition
Matthew Boswell, Competition Bureau Canada
9:45 a.m.
Talk: Canada’s untapped competitive potential
Robert Gagné, Director, Centre for Productivity and Prosperity, Walter J. Somers Foundation, HEC Montreal
The speaker will provide context on the current economic and competitive landscape in Canada. They will also explore the role that competition can play in the country’s long-term economic outlook and the opportunity that stakeholders have to promote competition.
10:05 a.m.
Break
10:25 a.m.
Fireside chat: Competition and Public Policy in Canada (pre-recorded)
This fireside chat will explore the role that competition could play in Canada going forward.
Moderator:
- Jeanne Pratt, Senior Deputy Commissioner, Mergers and Monopolistic Practices, Competition Bureau Canada
Speaker:
- Michael Wernick, Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management, University of Ottawa; Former Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet of Canada
10:45 a.m.
Panel: What could a more competitive Canada look like?
The opening panel will explore Canada’s main barriers to competition. The panelists will also discuss the benefits of competition reform to support the country’s long-term prosperity.
Key questions this panel will cover include:
- What are some of the main barriers to competition in Canada?
- Are these barriers necessary? How might they be eased?
- Where might we find the biggest gains from reform?
- How can we build a stronger competition culture at all levels of Canadian government with pro-competitive legislation and regulations?
- What economic benefits have other countries realized after completing a competition assessment?
Moderator:
- Ellen Creighton, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Competition Bureau Canada
Panelists:
- Cristiana Vitale, Senior Economist, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- Edward Kholodenko, President & CEO, Questrade
- Ryan Manucha, Harvard University Frederick Sheldon Fellow, Author
- Melanie Aitken, Managing Principal and Co-Head of Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment Practice, Bennet Jones (US) LLP; former Commissioner of Competition
12:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:00 p.m.
Keynote address
Timothy Wu
Julius Silver Professor of Law, Science and Technology, Columbia Law School
The White House Former Special Assistant to the President for Competition Policy
1:35 p.m.
Fireside chat: What do Canadians think about competition in Canada?
This refreshing fireside chat will explore Canadians’ diverse perspectives and their awareness of competition issues in Canada.
Moderator:
- Majid Charania, Director of Compliance, Competition Bureau Canada
Speaker:
- Arshy Mann, Podcast Host & Producer, Canadaland
2:00 p.m.
Panel: Building a whole-of-government competition agenda
Panelists will discuss ways that competition can be integrated into Canada’s long-term economic strategy. They will also explore ways that competition focused thinking can be embedded across all levels of government.
Key questions this panel will cover include:
- What could a whole-of-government approach to promoting competition in Canada look like? How could it be structured and what key elements should be included?
- How might such an approach be coordinated within and across all levels of government? Are there any other potential challenges to implementing this approach?
- How can we integrate competition assessment principles into the design and evaluation of public policies? Do we have the expertise, and if not, how do we build it? What lessons can we draw from past or current government initiatives?
Moderator:
- Christine Dobby, Finance Reporter, Bloomberg Canada
Panelists:
- Bill Robson, President & CEO, C.D. Howe Institute
- The Honourable Colin Deacon, Senator, Senate of Canada
- Maud Murray, Deputy Minister, Red Tape Reduction, Government of Ontario
- Vass Bednar, Executive Director, Master of Public Policy Program, McMaster University
3:15 p.m.
Closing remarks
Matthew Boswell, Commissioner of Competition, Competition Bureau Canada