Richard York of Frontier (Australia) today spoke at the International Bar Association 9th Competition Mid-Year Conference in Sydney, Australia. Richard's presentation addressed issues of information exchange between competitors and discussed the circumstances in which it may or may not be harmful. In some situations, information exchange might be efficiency enhancing, in which case it can benefit consumers and society as whole. At other times, information exchange - including price signalling - could help facilitate co-ordinated conduct between competitors, causing harm to consumers.
For more information, or to request a copy of the presentation, please contact Marita O’Keeffe at m.okeeffe@frontier-economics.com.au or call on +61 (0)3 9620 4488.
Frontier’s latest client briefing discusses the Australian Government's Industry and Innovation Strategy. The strategy was recently launched against the backdrop of a long-lived mining and resources boom, which has put pressure on other sectors of the economy, including manufacturing. The briefing suggests that the strategy's selective protectionism may be detrimental to the economy as a whole. It observes that these elements of the strategy may reflect a broader drift in trade policy from the principles that previously propelled economic growth in Australia.
Frontier (Australia) advises on a range of public policy issues.
For more information, or to request a copy of the briefing, please contact Marita O’Keeffe at m.okeeffe@frontier-economics.com.au or call on +61 (0)3 9620 4488.
In this briefing, we examine the likely implications of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s reforms to card surcharging practices. Difficulties applying the new regulatory Standard to taxis provides a useful illustration of why such measures are not likely to be effective in lowering surcharges for consumers.
July 2014 update: In late 2013, the Victorian Government legislated to reduce the surcharge able to be levied by suppliers of taxi payment services to a maximum of 5 per cent of the fare, to be reviewed by the Essential Services Commission. The reductions came into force in February 2014. The NSW Government has also announced its intention to legislate later in 2014 to reduce surcharges to 5 per cent.DOWNLOAD FULL PUBLICATION
Frontier’s latest client briefing considers a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against the use of local content rules in feed-in tariffs (FIT) used by the State of Ontario, Canada.
This case broke new ground as this was the first time a WTO panel considered in detail the operation of energy markets, and policy towards renewable energy sources. This is a topic of increasing relevance as trade-related aspects of policies to reduce emissions come under scrutiny. More broadly, the ruling touches on the interaction between trade rules and the environment. This client briefing examines the implications for policymakers, regulators and companies in the energy sector.
Frontier (Australia) advises clients on a range of international trade issues.
For more information, please contact Marita O’Keeffe at m.okeeffe@frontier-economics.com.au or call on +61 (0)3 9620 4488.
Frontier’s latest client briefing considers a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against the use of local content rules in feed-in tariffs (FIT) used by the State of Ontario, Canada.
This case broke new ground as this was the first time a WTO panel considered in detail the operation of energy markets, and policy towards renewable energy sources. This is a topic of increasing relevance as trade-related aspects of policies to reduce emissions come under scrutiny. More broadly, the ruling touches on the interaction between trade rules and the environment. This client briefing examines the implications for policymakers, regulators and companies in the energy sector.DOWNLOAD FULL PUBLICATION
