Being regulatedAnne MustowPresentation to 13th Annual Competition & Economics Workshop23 October 2015

This is a presentation of my personal views, not those of my employer.

1. The cost and the benefit

2. Managing the cost

3. Erosion of the benefit

4. Harper Recommendations 8, 9 & 12

Being Regulated

The cost and the benefit of being regulated by competition law

Costs• Compliance culture• Compliance systems• Resources, time, distraction

Benefits• Level playing field advantage• Facilitates success when strategy aligns• Trust

Managing the cost

Planned costs Unplanned

costs

This is not the team member or the customer in my example!

Erosion of the benefit

Example 1: WA Trading hours• barrier to entry• prevents competition• constrains economic growth

Example 2: Municipal trolley rules• un-level playing field• distorts competition• extra-jurisdictional market effect

Example 3: Planning rules• Zoning = barriers to entry• Anti-competitive gaming• Delays anti-competitive

“All Australian governments should review regulations, including local government regulations ...”

“… governments should subject restrictions on competition in planning an zoning rules to the public interest test…”

“Remaining restrictions on retail trading hours should be removed.”

Harper Recommendations 8, 9, 12