Annual Report 1997/98 - Informing Canadians

Informing and educating Canadians about the Competition Act and the labelling statutes is everybody's business in the Competition Bureau, and our efforts over the past year have been extensive: we have developed the Bureau's compliance program, enforcement policy and communications initiatives; we have managed the planning, administration and informatics activities of the Bureau; we have taken the lead in developing, managing and implementing the Fee and Service Standards Policy; we have expanded our public education activities; and we have supported the public outreach program.

As well, in cooperation with private and public sector partners, the Bureau participated in the production of a television documentary called "Scams," which was broadcast in prime time on the public broadcasting networks of several provinces. The Bureau continues to market another video called "Scam Alert!" which targets both deceptive mail solicitation and deceptive telemarketing. The Bureau has distributed over 6000 copies of "Scam Alert!" across the country to a variety of special interest groups, associations and seniors' organizations.

On the publishing front, the Bureau maintains its communications and public education efforts with a pamphlet series that reaches its target audiences via business and trade shows, direct mail, and the Bureau's Information Centre and Web site. During this fiscal year, we reprinted over 60 000 copies of the existing pamphlets and added to the series by addressing topics covered by the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Precious Metals Marking Act and the Textile Labelling Act. The new titles are: Be a Smart Shopper: Make Sure You Pay the Right Price; Be a Smart Shopper: Know Your Software; and Reporting Possible Anti-Competitive Practices. We have also produced a pamphlet explaining the Bureau's new Fee and Service Standards Policy.

Enforcement guidelines, news releases, speeches, bulletins and information documents have been issued on various provisions of the Competition Act. The latest information bulletin dealt with corporate compliance programs. Business and advisory notices on the labelling statutes have also been issued on a variety of topics including net quantity issues, jewellery and precious metals markings.

On November 18, 1997, we released the findings of an independent study by the Honourable Charles L. Dubin, Q.C., on whistleblowing and the protection of whistleblowers, as this relates to employees who speak out about possible violations of the Competition Act by their employers. Mr. Justice Dubin was asked by the Bureau to consider the protection currently available to whistleblowers in the competition law context; to provide examples of whistleblowing legislation in Canada and elsewhere; and to recommend measures to encourage whistleblowers to assist the Bureau in promoting conformity with competition legislation, and in prosecuting offenders. The report concluded that there is no need to amend the Competition Act to protect whistleblowers because other processes are in place to provide such protection.

Finally, the Bureau's public education program is being reviewed, and the recently created Communications Unit is working at increasing our target audience base by building on the Web site and refining the information we disseminate