{"id":20553,"date":"2022-12-02T15:56:51","date_gmt":"2022-12-02T15:56:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/02\/parties-conclude-evidentiary-portion-of-competition-tribunals-rogers-shaw-merger-hearing\/"},"modified":"2022-12-02T15:56:51","modified_gmt":"2022-12-02T15:56:51","slug":"parties-conclude-evidentiary-portion-of-competition-tribunals-rogers-shaw-merger-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/02\/parties-conclude-evidentiary-portion-of-competition-tribunals-rogers-shaw-merger-hearing\/","title":{"rendered":"Parties conclude evidentiary portion of Competition Tribunal’s Rogers-Shaw merger hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Competition Tribunal is close to concluding its hearing into Rogers\u2019 takeover of Shaw.<\/p>\n

The evidence portion of the hearing, which took place over the last four weeks, concluded Thursday. It featured testimony from witnesses, including executives from Rogers<\/a>, economists, and professors.<\/p>\n

The first week was largely spent in camera, in private sessions away from the public view. The second week started with a push from Chief Justice Paul Crampton, who is overseeing the hearing as part of a three-member panel, to have more of the hearing available to the public.<\/p>\n

That led to scores of documents once labelled confidential being publicly shared through cross-examinations. It revealed Telus\u2019 plans to \u201ckill, shape, and slow\u201d<\/a> the merger and Distributel\u2019s\u00a0attempts to buy Freedom Mobile. <\/a><\/p>\n

However, the hearing didn\u2019t stay in public for long. Several instances of confidential information in the last two weeks led to long periods in camera.<\/p>\n

The Competition Bureau wants the tribunal to block the $26 billion merger, which would also see the divestiture of Freedom Mobile<\/a>. Qu\u00e9becor subsidiary Vid\u00e9otron is buying the company for $2.85 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The bureau\u2019s lawyers have argued that separating Freedom from Shaw will create a weakened competitor. Rogers will still be attaining 450,000 Shaw Mobile customers.<\/p>\n

Lawyers from Rogers, Shaw<\/a>, and Qu\u00e9becor have argued that Freedom will be a strong fourth competitor under Vid\u00e9otron.<\/p>\n

Parties will give oral arguments on December 13th and 14th. Crampton says he hopes to present a decision before Christmas.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n