On Thursday, September 19, the Canadian government announced a new plan for national securities regulation. So far, it has the support of just two provincial governments, Ontario and British Columbia, but the plan invites all other provinces and territories to sign on. Quebec and Alberta defeated the last federal attempt to create a national regulator, which the Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional in the Securities Reference (2011 SCC 66). But the new plan differs in two important ways. First, there will be no federal law regulating the securities industry in general. Instead, that will be regulated by uniform provincial laws to be adopted by participating provinces. Second, the federal law will deal with criminal provisions, national data collection, and systemic risk in the financial sector, areas the Securities Reference either did not contest or specifically viewed as proper candidates for federal legislation. [more] Full article

The Competition Bureau has announced that they have entered into a consent agreement with Agrium which addresses the Bureau’s concerns arising from Agrium’s proposed acquisition of the majority of Viterra Inc.’s ... [more] Full article

Richard Taylor has been re-appointed as Deputy Commissioner, Civil Matters branch, the Commissioner of Competition, John Pecman, announced recently. Mr Taylor has been with the Bureau since 1983, and has ... [more] Full article