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This year, the Dinner features remarks by Jeanne Pratt, Senior Deputy Commissioner, Mergers and Monopolistic Practices Branch, Competition Bureau of Canada. Deputy Commissioner Pratt is a leading legal expert on competition law and had an active role in the Bureau’s recent major merger enforcement actions. Ms. Pratt has been with the Bureau since 2009, serving in various roles focusing on competitive markets and consumer protection. Dinner attendees will have the privilege of hearing the Deputy Commissioner’s addresses on consumer protection and competition.

Following the Deputy Commissioner’s remarks and a question or two, attendees will enjoy a delicious four-course dinner, prepared by the incomparable National Arts Centre chefs.

During the remainder of the event, there will be door prizes and musical entertainment by Canadian Folk Music Awards-nominated bilingual band Moonfruits (moonfruits.ca).

Finally, PIAC will be presenting our new annual consumer advocacy awards.

A limited number of individual tickets are still available for this collegial event which brings together key industry stakeholders and showcases some incredible speakers with important consumer perspectives concerning the world of regulated services. PIAC asks that any media identify themself and their media organization, ideally in advance.

To reserve one of the remaining individual tickets, kindly fill out the PDF form and return it to dbrady@piac.ca .

For further information, please contact PIAC at jlawford@piac.ca or call 613-562-4002 ext. 125.

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PIAC Annual Dinner, Speaker: Jeanne Pratt, Senior Deputy Commissioner, Mergers and Monopolistic Practices Branch, Competition Bureau of Canada
Friday, November 24, 2023 at 6 p.m. (eastern time)
National Arts Centre (Rossy Pavilion)

To purchase an individual ticket, please fill out the linked PDF form and return it, ideally by Monday, November 20, 2023, to Donna Brady: dbrady@piac.ca

To sponsor a corporate table, please email Donna Brady: dbrady@piac.ca for details. Our corporate sponsors and their logos will appear at this space shortly, as they join in supporting PIAC.

About the Event

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre is thrilled to announce our Annual Dinner 2023, to be held on Friday, November 24, 2023 at 6 p.m. at the National Arts Centre in the Rossy Pavilion. Registration is now open and details can be found below.

PIAC’s Annual Dinner has a longstanding tradition of being a highlight of the year for advocates, regulators, responsible corporations and students alike. We even often welcome a politician or  exceptional community leaders to discuss issues of consumer protection in Canada at an incredible venue – the Rossy Pavilion at the National Arts Centre.

The Venue – National Arts Centre, Rossy Pavilion, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa

The National Arts Centre is located in the heart of downtown Ottawa. Our dinner will be hosted in the Rossy Pavilion which features views of Parliament and the historic War Memorial through stunning floor-to-ceiling windows, providing a beautiful backdrop for the evening’s events. In keeping with the formality of the venue, we ask that guests attire in business casual.

Our Speaker, Jeanne Pratt, Senior Deputy Commissioner, Competition Bureau of Canada

In addition to a multitude of wonderful guests and a beautiful venue, this year, we will have the pleasure of hearing an address from Jeanne Pratt, Senior Deputy Commissioner, Mergers and Monopolistic Practices Branch, Competition Bureau of Canada. Ms. Pratt is a leading legal expert on competition law and had an active role in the Bureau’s recent major merger enforcement actions. Ms. Pratt has been with the Bureau since 2009, serving in various roles focusing on competitive markets and consumer protection.

The Dinner

Following Ms. Pratt’s remarks, attendees will enjoy a four-course dinner. Dinner will be accompanied by a beverage of choice, and there will be a cash bar available throughout the evening.

There will also be opportunities to enter to win various door prizes throughout the evening. While this event is an opportunity to showcase our incredible speaker who will be providing important consumer perspectives concerning the world of regulated services, this collegial event is also a unique opportunity to bring together industry stakeholders who may also be opponents from time to time in matters of regulatory or industry policy.

The Music – Moonfruits

Both during cocktail hour and during dessert, we will be enjoying live music provided by the exciting Canadian bilingual folk band Moonfruits – who will be playing songs from their large repertoire of original songs. PIAC is pleased to support Canadian artists and content! More on the band, soon.

Consumer Advocacy Awards

During the event, PIAC will also be announcing recipients of its two new annual consumer advocacy awards: the Harry Gow Award for outstanding advocacy in transportation, competition and essential services; and the Ken Rubin Award for outstanding advocacy in privacy, access to information and civic participation.

Come Celebrate PIAC – We Need You!

PIAC has been active in the area of consumer advocacy for over 40 years. Our small team represents consumer interests in the provision of important regulated services on behalf of consumers, and in particular vulnerable consumers. Our staff will be participating and will bring attendees up to date on PIAC’s extensive consumer protection work. The Annual Dinner provides some modest fundraising to support the important work that we do. We very much appreciate your support of our mission to protect consumers and in particular, vulnerable consumers.

We sincerely hope that you will join us for this evening of great conversations, great speakers and great prizes in the beautiful Rossy Pavilion in downtown Ottawa. Registration is now open for individual tickets and corporate sponsored tables.

The post PIAC Annual Dinner – Friday, 24 Nov 2023; Speaker: Jeanne Pratt, Competition Bureau of Canada appeared first on Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

“We applaud Minister Champagne’s action to fund hardworking consumer advocates who for too long have struggled with their own budgetary constraints in trying to help Canadian consumers with their own challenges,” said John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel of PIAC.  “The Minister heard the voice of consumers facing higher food prices and is showing consumer groups that the government trusts us and the Office of Consumer Affairs to make a real difference for Canadians,” he added, after an hour long meeting with Minister Champagne and other consumer groups, including Consumers’ Council of Canada, Option consommateurs and Union des consommateurs.

PIAC’s recent submission to the Competition Bureau of Canada’s Retail Grocery Market Study highlighted “shrinkflation” and “shelflation” and other dubious tactics of grocery retailers to confuse customers looking to shop smart and save money. PIAC was pleased to see the Competition Bureau’s Retail Grocery Market Study Report’s conclusion that “Canada Needs More Grocery Competition”.

PIAC was then thrilled to see the Government of Canada’s reaction to these competition concerns in the grocery sector and across essential goods and services in the introduction of Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act, which would enact the Affordable Housing and Groceries Act. Bill C-56 seeks to remove the hated “efficiencies defence” (which PIAC has opposed since its creation) that harms consumers from merging companies’ tactics and restricts unfair use of schemes such as restrictive covenants, that limit where competing grocery stores can open. PIAC calls upon all parties and members of the House of Commons and the Senate of Canada to swiftly pass this essential competition law reform.

For more information, please contact:

John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
tel: 1-613-562-4002 ext. 125

cell: 1-613-447-8125

@CanadaPIAC

jlawford@piac.ca

https://www.piac.ca

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We are excited to announce our Guest Speaker is Jeanne Pratt, Senior Deputy Commissioner, Competition Bureau of Canada.

Please watch this space in the coming days for information on ordering tickets and a reveal of a special musical guest.

The post Save the Date – PIAC’s Annual Dinner 2023! appeared first on Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

OTTAWA – 31 March 2023 – In a companion piece to the Public Interest Advocacy’s concerns with the Shaw-Videotron spectrum transfer approval of today as the last step in the Rogers-Shaw merger, PIAC provided the following submission to the Ministry of Industry, Science and Economic Development on the Consultation on the future of competition policy in Canada.  Competition law in Canada is dead and a radical rewriting of the legislation is required.

Submission here: PIAC Submission to the Consultation on the future of competition policy in Canada

For more information:

John Lawford (he/him)
Executive Director/General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
285 McLeod Street – Suite 200
Ottawa, ON K2P 1A1
jlawford@piac.ca
613-562-4002 ext 125 [new!]
Fax 562-0007
Cell: 613-447-8125

Fighting for consumer rights

@CanadaPIAC

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