Government Regulations and Competitive Markets

Remarks by Brad Callaghan, Associate Deputy Commissioner of the Policy, Planning and Advocacy Directorate – Opening Statement to the Senate Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.

Remarks by Brad Callaghan, Associate Deputy Commissioner of the Policy, Planning and Advocacy Directorate

Good morning, Mr. Chair and Honourable Senators. Thank you for inviting us to appear today. 

My name is Brad Callaghan, and I am the Associate Deputy Commissioner of the Policy, Planning, and Advocacy Directorate at the Competition Bureau. I am joined by my colleague Shawn Hashmi, Team Lead, Competition Law Enforcement, Mergers and Monopolistic Practices Branch.

The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency tasked with protecting and promoting competition in Canada. We administer and enforce the Competition Act, a law that applies across all sectors of the economy.

To protect competition, we investigate allegations of anti-competitive conduct, including abuses of market power, price‑fixing and other cartel behaviour, and deceptive marketing practices. We also review mergers that may harm competition.

Our enforcement work is fact-driven and conduced on a case-by-case basis. We take action where appropriate to address cases where competition is harmed. 

We also advocate for government policies and regulations that support competitive markets. We recognize that the Government of Canada regulates the fishing industry with a range of policy goals, including sustainability, social and economic. We have not conducted a detailed assessment of the various licensing, ownership, and operational models across Canada from the standpoint of their overall effects on competition. However, we hope to help the committee apply a competition lens to your studies.