June 27, 1950 (21st Parliament, 2nd Session)

Hon. Stuart S. Garson (Minister of Justice):

Mr. Speaker, some time after the appointment of Mr. T. D. MacDonald, K.C., as the present commissioner of the Combines Investigation Act, he requested that a committee be convened for the purpose of studying the act and recommending whether it could be made a more effective instrument. I have agreed with his request, and a committee has been set up accordingly comprising the following members: Hon. Mr. Justice J. H. MacQuarrie, Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Halifax; Dr. W. A. Mackintosh, vice-principal of Queen's university, Kingston; Professor Maurice Lamontagne, assistant director of the department of economics, Laval university, Quebec; and Mr. George F. Curtis, dean of the university of British Columbia law school, Vancouver.
The terms of reference are to study, in the light of present day conditions, the purposes and methods of the Combines Investigation Act and related Canadian statutes, the legislation and procedures of other countries, in
so far as the latter appear likely to afford assistance, and to recommend what amendments, if any, should be made to our Canadian legislation in order to make it a more effective instrument for the encouraging and safeguarding of our free economy.
To avoid any possible misunderstanding, I desire to emphasize that no suggestions of amendments are being made to the committee for its consideration. It is the practice, however, to take stock of such acts from time to time to see whether any modifications should be considered in the light of administrative experience, changed conditions or otherwise. It is for such a purpose that this study has been arranged.