The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has recently outlined proposed changes to Australia's merger clearance law and process. This paper analyses the ACCC's proposals. We conclude that:1. Overall, the current merger clearance process in Australia works very well. However, the ACCC...

Australia's competition laws include a general access regime for monopoly infrastructure (Part IIIA of the Competition and Consumer Act). Recently, there have been calls to extend this law - through a new 'Part IIIB'. This paper considers the proposed amendments and finds that there is no...

In Australia, reforms to improve productivity need to focus on human services, including health, education, and community services. These services make up around 20% of national output, involve significant government expenditure, are used by all Australians and are a key element in reducing...

Mixed-bundling of groceries and gasoline is common in a range of countries including Australia, the US, the UK, and parts of Europe. However, it has raised competition concerns. In Australia, the competition authority, fearing 'predation' and exit by independent gasoline retailers, has imposed a...

Australia's payment card regulations are similar to those used in a variety of countries around the world. However, as we argue below, they are complex, open to gaming and have failed to win support from consumers.In this paper, we present an alternative approach to regulation involving direct...

The Australian model of free-to-air (FTA) broadcasting is stuck in the 1950s. This paper reviews the existing Australian approach to FTA broadcasting which provides incumbent networks with complete control over the available spectrum albeit tied down by a range of regulatory constraints. We...