Two letters to the editor criticize Canada's competition enforcement regime for lacking personal accountability in price-fixing cases and question the government's engagement with repressive regimes, highlighting hypocrisy in foreign policy.
Letters to the editor, July 13: ‘If Canada truly wants competitive markets, regulators must ensure that those who manipulate prices face serious personal risk’” : This settlement once again highlights the weakness of Canada’s competition enforcement regime.
While corporate penalties provide restitution, they rarely deliver meaningful personal accountability for executives who authorize or direct illegal collusion. Although the Competition Act permits prison sentences of up to 14 years for price-fixing, Canada has secured remarkably few individual criminal convictions relative to its volume of corporate settlements. Immunity and leniency programs are vital for detecting cartels. Yet they must be paired with vigorous prosecution of individuals when the evidence warrants it.
Without real personal consequences for decision-makers, corporations will continue to treat fines as just another cost of doing business. If Canada truly wants competitive markets, regulators must ensure that those who manipulate prices face serious personal risk – not merely shift the financial burden onto shareholders and consumers.
” : Prime Minister Mark Carney has glibly said that “engagement is not endorsement,” in defending his choice to make economic deals with countries with deeply repressive regimes, most recently Saudi Arabia. Given that rationale, would he also say that Canada was wrong when it took a strong “non-engagement” position with South Africa four decades ago to avoid being seen to endorse, and thus perhaps encourage, its apartheid policies?
One can only hope that the fact there is money to be made by ignoring Saudi Arabia’s ongoing repression, whereas that was not the case in relation to South Africa, is not the actual basis of his policy position. ” : Am I the only one to notice the hypocrisy in the U.S. threat to impose trade tariffs on countries, including Canada, because of allegations of forced labour?
The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery, exempted slavery or involuntary servitude imposed on prison inmates. This exemption is the legal basis for U.S. prisons forcing prisoners to work for no or very low wages. The American Civil Liberties Union estimated the value of commercial goods and commodities produced by these prisoners is US$2-billion a year.
In addition, prison services such as cooking, cleaning and laundry performed by prisoners have a value estimated at US$9-billion dollars for which many states pay prisoners nothing or just pennies per hour. What do they say about people who live in glass houses? ” : This story about the province’s first direct-to-consumer energy program serves as an important reminder of a key tool we have for fighting climate change: saying yes.
Conversations about renewable energy are often met with fear because the technology feels unfamiliar. Meanwhile, fossil fuels continue to have negative impacts that we’ve known about for decades. The technology to transition our energy sector already exists. The rest is up to us.
” : Columnist Robyn Urback suggests that “charitable dollars in Canada are finite” and charities “all clamour for a part of the same pie. ” But the fact is that there is an ever-increasing amount of wealth available for philanthropy. Statistics Canada data confirm that the aggregate net worth of Canadian households has more than quadrupled in the past 25 years, and even in real terms, taking inflation out of the equation, has almost tripled.
Assuming that charity fundraising is a zero-sum game does a disservice to donors, who are not generally indifferent about which charities they support. Passion for a cause drives donors to give more, so the key is not to convince people to choose 24 Sussex Dr. over another charity, but to attract support from those for whom a proper residence for our Prime Minister is a relative priority. Effective fundraising grows the pie, it does not simply slice it up differently.
” : A letter-writer laments Canada’s use of an “Atlantic lens” in procuring submarines from European nations rather than from Asia. The problem with the South Korean deal was South Korea’s proximity to China.
If we find ourselves in a conflict with China over Taiwan – or any other flashpoint – would you rather source critical military assets from a country located near China, or from a partnership of companies based in Germany and Norway ? ” : I think most Canadians would disagree with the concern that, “In the United States, senators have five or six weeks to familiarize themselves with the nominee’s record, writings, social-media posts, speeches and so on.
Unlike in the U.S., the Canadian process does not culminate in a vote. ” Spare me, please. The overly politicized appointment system of the Supreme Court of the United States is something that no nation should emulate. ” : There’s nothing noble or inspiring about duping an animal into a misstep resulting in certain death before thousands of cheering voyeurs.
On the rare occasions when I have inadvertently seen a few seconds of a bullfight on television, I cheered for the bull. This grotesque form of brutality appeals to those who find pleasure in pain: sadists. This is not artistic expression or performance art. It’s cruelty.
As a matter of interest, The New York Times Book Review recently had an article on the 90th anniversary ofone of my favourite children’s books. The story was apparently inspired by Civilón, a Spanish bull once photographed eating flowers out of a girl’s hands in the 1930s. The Arenas de Barcelona, a magnificent former bullfighting venue, has become a great shopping mall. As Spaniards move away from bullfighting, perhaps they could adopt shopping as their preferred cultural pastime, like Canadians.
It’s a safer way to get gouged. Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer.
Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here:
Please follow us on Google to support usCompetition Law Price-Fixing Personal Accountability Corporate Fines Saudi Arabia South Africa Apartheid Foreign Policy Engagement Mark Carney
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