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Member of Parliament

Gabriel Ste-Marie

  • Member of Parliament
  • Member of Parliament
  • Bloc Québécois
  • Joliette
  • Quebec
  • Voting Attendance: 68%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $132,165.46

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 274 - Feb/2/24
Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, BQ)
  • Feb/2/24 12:31:07 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, strengthening the Competition Act is important, and some of the proposals in Bill C‑352 aim to do just that. For example, the enactment amends the Competition Act by increasing the penalties for certain anti-competitive acts. It also amends certain aspects of the merger review process, such as how gains in efficiency and market concentration are taken into account. Furthermore, it requires the Competition Tribunal to make an order to dissolve or prohibit mergers that result in an excessive combined market share. It extends the limitation period for merger reviews from one year to three years. Finally, it amends the Competition Tribunal Act to remove the Tribunal's power to award costs against the Crown. All of these things are positive, and that is why the Bloc Québécois will support Bill C‑352. However, I would like to remind members of one very specific situation. Last fall, Bill C‑56 was debated, amended and then passed. Half of that bill dealt with amendments to the Competition Act. Members will recall that to get the NDP to support a gag order, M‑30, the government amended Bill C‑56 to include several items from Bill C‑352. A number of items from Bill C‑352 therefore ended up in Bill C‑56. What is more, there was a big chunk of Bill C‑352 that was missing from Bill C‑56, so I brought it to committee and it passed. The committee chair ruled the amendment inadmissible, but his decision was overturned by all of the committee members, across all parties. That reversal was not challenged in the House. There are many good things in Bill C‑352, but the bulk of it was already passed last fall. I therefore question the relevance of debating this bill again, given that its substance has already been passed by the House. Much like in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, all that is left is the marlin's carcass. Poor Santiago. We are going to vote in favour of that carcass and conclude in committee that the substance of the bill has already been passed.
379 words
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