Building trust, enhancing relationships top priority, says Competition Commissioner
John Pecman, Canada’s new Interim Commissioner of Competition, signaled a shift towards a more collaborative approach to enforcement in a recent speech.
Noting the “fundamentally important role the Bureau plays” in ensuring a “prosperous, growing, Canadian economy”, Mr. Pecman elaborated three priority areas:
- Benefiting Canadians, through focused enforcement and through strategic regulatory interventions;
- Applying Canada’s competition laws in a transparent and predictable manner
- And, building trust through enhanced collaboration.
Mr. Pecman emphasized that his priority for “priority for the Bureau in the coming months is – building trust through collaboration between the Bureau and all its stakeholders”, including the bar, other government agencies, the international community, academics, Canadian consumers and the business community.
This does not mean retreating from the Bureau’s enforcement mandate, Mr. Pecman cautioned, noting that “the Bureau’s strongest asset is its dedicated enforcement and support team that promotes deterrence through its efforts”, and that deterrence can be enhanced through collaboration.
