On 12 February, LIDC Australia and New Zealand, in partnership with the UQ CPICL hosted its second E-Conference, Revitalising Competition Law and Policy in Australia & New Zealand. The event emerged from the region’s first-ever call for papers in competition law, with peer-reviewed contributions to be published in a special issue of the UQLJ later this year.
This thought-provoking event brought together speakers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Switzerland to examine contemporary challenges and future directions in competition law and policy in Australia and New Zealand and beyond. Chaired by Dr Alex Bruce (University of Queensland), the conference featured a rich and engaging program of papers addressing legislative reform, digital markets, market power, institutional design, and the future of national competition policy. The event provided a valuable platform for cross-jurisdictional dialogue and forward-looking reform proposals at a critical time for competition law in the region.
Brief Summary of Presentations
The conference opened with Joshua Sinn, presenting a joint paper co-authored with Professor Yane Svetiev, titled “Still Waiting on a Paradigm Shift in Australian Competition Policy.” The paper offered a thought-provoking examination of the complexity of Australia’s competition law framework and proposed pathways toward meaningful reform.
Marcus Bezzi presented “How can Competition Policy be Improved to Improve Australian Productivity?” Marcus provided a comprehensive analysis of how competition policy reform could enhance Australian productivity over time, identifying key structural and policy obstacles that must be addressed to improve prosperity.
Priyanshi Priyanshi delivered a timely paper titled “Regulating Bargaining Power in Digital Platform Markets: Evaluating Australia’s Experience with News Media and the Emerging Regulatory Trajectories.” The presentation examined Australia’s approach to regulating digital platforms, particularly in the news media context. It examined the imbalance in bargaining power and evaluated the challenges within, as well as potential improvements to, the current Australian mandatory News Media Bargaining Code.
Professor Yo Sop Choi presented “A Paradox of the Brussels Effects: Sector-Specific Regulation for Digital Markets.” He discussed regulatory developments in the EU and Asia and explored the meaning of the “Brussels Effect” in light of emerging theories of harm at the intersection of competition law with environmental, data, privacy and employment concerns.
Professor Andreas and Professor Chris Noonan presented “Keeping up with Market Power: New Guidelines in New Zealand & the European Union on Exclusionary Conduct.” Their paper compared developments in the EU and New Zealand regarding exclusionary conduct, highlighting differences in legal approaches and noting the relative lack of enforcement in New Zealand.
Thomas Choo Lachlan Pembroke presented “Revitalising Australian Competition Policy by Revitalising the Australian Competition Tribunal.” The paper explored the Tribunal’s role in shaping competition law and policy and proposed reforms to strengthen its institutional contribution.
Finally, Dr Rhonda Smith and Professor Deborah Healey presented “National Competition Policy: Drawing on the Past to Enhance the Future.” They surveyed key milestones in the development of Australia’s National Competition Policy (NCP), analysed its positive impact, and argued that the forthcoming iteration of the NCP holds significant promise for more effective reform.
Together, the presentations sparked lively discussion and highlighted the importance of reinvigorating competition law and policy frameworks to meet contemporary economic and regulatory challenges across Australia and New Zealand.
