The Canadian government aims to increase competition by revising its outdated legal framework for industries that are dominated by a handful of players resulting in higher prices for consumers, less innovation, and weaker economic growth. However, according to Philip Cross, a former chief economic analyst at Statistics Canada and Munk senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI), it’s the government actions that have been undercutting competition and continue to do so. Cross argues that changing Canada’s Competition Act without broader changes in government policies and attitudes towards business, such as restrictions on foreign companies entering the market, won’t solve the problem of competition in Canada. Canadians pay among the highest prices in the world for wireless services, domestic flights, and grocery, which is concentrated in the hands of a few players. The Competition Bureau of Canada launched an investigation into grocery store competition and expects to publish findings in June. Cross suggests that the government could rapidly foster more competition by easing regulations like inter-provincial trade barriers, opening up large segments of the economy that are currently insulated from competition, and fostering a more entrepreneurial culture. The Canadian government’s tightening of competition laws instead of correcting government actions that favor producers over consumers is seen as another government attack on business. Online streaming act Bill C-11 became law, which, according to Cross, is another attempt to narrow the range of views in the public sphere, symptomatic of the lack of competition in media and broadcasting. The International Monetary Fund and former Bank of Canada senior deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins stated that when a few large firms dominate industries in an economy, it could be a drag on economic growth, innovation, and business investment. The pandemic provided big business with the opportunity to gain even greater market share over smaller competitors that were unable to weather the restrictions and became less able to compete for labor.