I would like to clarify that this provision was in fact developed jointly with the Competition Bureau. We've had numerous discussions with them in all iterations of the bill.
The purpose of the provision is not to duplicate what the Competition Bureau normally does in reviewing a merger or acquisition proposal. What it proposes to do is look at factors beyond the competition factors that the bureau looks at. They normally look at the impact on services, the impact on prices, the impact of competitiveness. They take a very economic look at it.
The power the minister would be looking at would be the public interest as it relates to transportation. It would be factors, for example, such as the impact on safety issues or the impact on the functionality of the other modes. For example, if you have a merger in the railways, which was a potential happening in 2000, how would that impact the functioning of the ports, because the ports rely on the railways? We need to take all those other aspects into account, like the labour force and things like that.
They are not meant to duplicate. The applicants for a merger will continue to provide the Competition Bureau with the information it requires, and these guidelines would set out the information that the minister will require for these other factors.