Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today. As the chair has just said, my name is Anthony Durocher, and I am the deputy commissioner of the Bureau's competition promotion branch. I am joined today by my colleagues Ann Salvatore, deputy commissioner of the cartels directorate, and Krista McWhinnie, deputy commissioner of the monopolistic practices directorate.
The Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses. We do this because competition drives lower prices and innovation while fuelling economic growth.
We administer and enforce Canada's Competition Act, which means that we investigate and address business conduct in four main areas: abuses of market power, anti‑competitive mergers, price‑fixing, and deceptive marketing practices.
The Bureau also advocates for pro‑competitive government rules and regulations.
We have heard Canadians' concerns about high grocery prices, so on October 24 we launched a market study of grocery store competition in Canada. This study is not an investigation into any specific allegations of wrongdoing. Instead, we are proactively looking for ways that governments can act to improve competition in the sector, because more competition means lower prices, more choice and more convenience for consumers. We expect to publish our finding and recommendations in June.
In addition to this study, we will continue to vigorously enforce the Competition Act for the benefit of all Canadians.
Whenever we find evidence that someone may be doing something against the law, we will not hesitate to investigate and take appropriate action. I would note that high prices and high profits are not in and of themselves violations of the Competition Act, which sets specific criteria that the bureau must meet when considering whether to bring a case.
We are also guided by the jurisprudence from the Competition Tribunal and the courts. The bureau conducts thorough and rigorous investigations during which we follow the evidence and make a determination as to how to proceed.
Some question whether the bureau has sufficient teeth to carry out its work. Last year the government introduced important amendments to the Competition Act and also launched a comprehensive consultation on Canada's competition laws. This consultation is ongoing, and the bureau will continue to push for responsible reform. We need to ensure that the Competition Act contains the right provisions and that we have the right tools to protect and promote competition in the Canadian economy.
Before fielding your questions, I would note that the law requires that the bureau conduct its investigations in private and that we keep the information we have confidential. This obligation may prevent us from discussing some past or current investigations.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. We look forward to your questions.