Canada needs better policies to address today鈥檚 economic challenges, and that starts with bold discourse. The 不良研究所 Max Bell Lectures focus on the analysis, balance, and practicality needed to plan for a more prosperous future.
The rise of dominant firms across Canadian industries has dramatically changed the way markets operate. Today, de facto private regulators 鈥� in the form of the largest and most powerful corporations 鈥� set market rules and norms outside of more democratic channels.
Markets aren鈥檛 born, they鈥檙e made. Canadians and their policymakers can shape the course of present and future markets in a way that elevates the nation鈥檚 productivity, innovation capacity, and fairness 鈥� but it will require new approaches to age-old problems. The economy has changed, but our conversation about competition mostly hasn鈥檛.
In this book and accompanying lectures, writers and competition policy experts Vass Bednar and Denise Hearn will help readers think about how markets are made and remade, the importance and limitations of present-day competition policy, and the need to reconsider the optimal role of the Canadian state in moderating corporate behaviour.
This is a book for anyone 鈥� policy people, workers, citizens 鈥� who cares about the future of the Canadian economy, and dares to envision more productive, vibrant, and democratic markets.
The 不良研究所 Max Bell Lectures are held in three Canadian cities annually, and the associated book will be published each year ahead of the lecture series by Sutherland House.聽The 不良研究所 Max Bell Lectures are free and open to the public, made possible by from respected business leader and 不良研究所 alumnus Thomas E. Kierans, O.C., LLD, FICD.
Event Information
New Monopolies: The Rise of Everything Companies
Oct. 15 // UBC Robson Square, Vancouver
When Canadians complain about high grocery prices, cell phone rates, and banking fees, what we鈥檙e really talking about is corporate power. But beyond the grocers, telecoms, and banks, more and more of the Canadian economy is controlled by only a handful of big companies in everything from funeral services to fertilizer. This lecture on economics, business regulation, and smart public policy will be followed by an interview hosted by CBC鈥檚 Paul Haavardsrud, host of聽.
The Government鈥檚 Role in Freeing Markets: Challenging Corporate Red Tape
Oct. 24 // Omni Hotel, Montreal
We often think of regulatory 鈥榬ed tape鈥� getting in the way of an entrepreneur鈥檚 success. But increasingly, the largest companies act as private regulators 鈥� controlling the infrastructure of commerce, setting market rules in their favour, and stifling innovation. This lecture is essential for entrepreneurs, policymakers, academics, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamic between market freedom, regulatory frameworks, and innovation. Join us to discover how these elements combine to shape the markets of today and tomorrow. The lecture will be followed by an interview hosted by investigative journalist Justin Ling.
The Big Fix: How Companies Remake Markets, Cash In, and Keep it Hidden (and What to Do About It!)
Oct. 29 // TIFF, Toronto
Canadians may not realize that every time they visit the vet, go to a casino, buy a Tim Horton鈥檚 coffee, or fly on WestJet, they鈥檙e paying into an opaque and underregulated part of the economy and enriching global investors. This lecture will discuss the profound 21st century shifts that digital markets and the financialization of the economy have brought, eroding trust between consumers and corporations, and present current and future solutions to these challenges, providing hope that change is possible and already underway. The lecture will be followed by an interview hosted by聽Nam Kiwanuka, award-winning journalist, co-host and producer of The Agenda with Steve Paikin, and host of TVO鈥檚 latest project, The Thread with Nam Kiwanuka.
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The 2024 lectures are drawn from
More and more of the Canadian economy is dominated by a handful of huge companies that control what we buy, how we work, and which other businesses can or can鈥檛 thrive.聽
Beyond the obvious examples of airlines, telcos, grocery chains, and banks,聽The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians聽shows how corporate concentration is growing across many industries, leading to higher prices for consumers, lower worker鈥檚 wages, more inequality, fewer startups, less innovation, and lower growth and productivity.
In this galvanizing book, Hearn and Bednar show how companies perpetuate the illusion of rivalry to disguise their dominance, and how they鈥檝e shifted from competing within industries to accumulating assets across industries, further entrenching their power. The authors coach readers on how to think about competition, how markets are made and remade, and how the right set of attitudes and policies reduce corporate power and rebalance it throughout the economy.
The future of Canada鈥檚 economy is up for grabs, and聽The Big Fix聽shows how the country can achieve a more innovative, productive, and livable economy for all Canadians.
Attendees will receive a free copy of the book!
The 2024 lecturers are Vass Bednar and Denise Hearn.
Vass Bednar is the Executive Director of McMaster University's MPP in Digital Society program (on leave). Her work focuses on the intersection(s) between public policy and technology. She contributes to policy discussions in Canada through her affiliations as a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), a Fellow at the Public Policy Forum (PPF), opinion editorials in the Globe and Mail and the Financial Post, and her popular newsletter "." Vass was recently recognized as a Globe and Mail Report on Business 鈥淐hangemaker鈥� for her work describing Cineplex鈥檚 unique monopolization and calling out shady apps on Shopify. She is a graduate of McMaster's Arts & Science program and holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Toronto. She is the host of the Globe and Mail's podcast,.
Denise Hearn is a writer and applied researcher who advises governments, financial institutions, companies, and nonprofits on antitrust, economic policy, and new economic thinking. She is currently a Resident Senior Fellow at the , a joint center of Columbia University Law School and Columbia Climate School. Denise co-authored 鈥� named one of the Financial Times鈥� Best Books of 2018. Her writing has been translated into 9 languages and featured in major publications globally. She currently authors the Embodied Economics newsletter. Denise has an MBA from the Oxford Sa茂d Business School and a BA in International Studies from Baylor University.
