50 Years of Competition Law and Economics in Australia

This year marks the 50-year anniversary of the Trade Practices Act 1974. This groundbreaking Act, among the earliest and most impactful competition laws, remains the essential foundation for the Competition and Consumer Act that is well known today. This conference–’50 Years of Competition Law and Economics in Australia’– commemorates the profound changes brought about by the 1974 Act but our discussions will focus on the trends, reforms and challenges facing this policy field today. Topics of discussion will include the emerging regulation for digital markets, the new pre-merger notification regime for large acquisitions, and other salient themes.

Featured speakers will include the Chair of the ACCC, Gina Cass-Gottlieb; former ACCC Chairs Rod Sims and Allan Fels and former ACCC Commissioners Stephen King and Rhonda Smith; leading academics from near and abroad such as Professor Deborah Healey (UNSW), Professor Bill Kovacic (George Washington University and former Chair of the US FTC), and Professor Martin Peitz (University of Mannheim); and other leading experts from the law, economics and policy community.

The conference will be hosted by Monash Law School and Monash Business School, with the kind support of the ACCC.

Organised by:

• Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies (CLARS), Monash Law School
• Digital Lab, Impact Labs, Monash Business School
• Department of Economics, Monash Business School

With the support of:

• The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)

Conference program:

Day 1 program

8:30 Arrival & coffee - Monash Caulfield Campus, Building H, Level 8 (the Pavilion)

9:00 - Welcome

• Dean Simon Wilkie, Monash Business School
• Dean Marilyn Pittard, Monash Law School

9:25 - 10:00 - Keynote 1 

• Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb, ACCC

10:00 - 11:10 | Session 1 – Building the Law and Improving the Legislation

Moderator: Justice Michael O’Bryan, Federal Court of Australia

• Nicholas De Young KC, Barrister, Melbourne
• Elizabeth Avery, Gilbert + Tobin, Sydney
• Brent Fisse, Brent Fisse Lawyers, Sydney

11:10 - 11:35 - Morning Tea

11:35 to 12:45 | Session 2 – Enforcing the Law: Contributions of the TPC and the ACCC

Moderator: Stephen King, Monash University and Productivity Commission

• Allan Fels AO, University of Melbourne 
• Rod Sims AO, Competition Task Force Advisory Panel 
• Gina Cass-Gottlieb, ACCC

12:45 - 2:00 - Lunch

2:00 - 3:10 | Session 3 – Developing the Law and Use of Economics

Moderator: Arthur Campbell, Monash University

• Deborah Healey, UNSW
• Rhonda Smith, University of Melbourne
• Darryl Biggar, Monash University and Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal

3:10 - 3:30 - Afternoon Tea

3:30 - 5:00 | Session 4 – Amending and Adapting Law and Policy: Merger Control & Digital Markets  

Moderator: Deborah Healey, UNSW Law & Justice

• Gina Cass-Gottlieb, ACCC
• George Siolis, RBB Economics, Melbourne
• Luke Woodward, King & Wood Mallesons, Sydney 
• Bill Kovacic, George Washington University School of Law

5:00 - Day 1 Concludes

Day 2 program - Focusing on Digital Markets and Regulation

9:30 Arrival - Monash Caulfield Campus, Building H, Level 8 (the Pavilion)

9:45 - 10:45 - Keynote 2

• Professor Martin Peitz, University of Mannheim

10:45 - 11:05 - Morning Tea

11:05 - 12:30 | Session 5 – Tech Regulation: Future-Proof or Whack-a-Mole

Moderator: Chengsi Wang, Monash University

• Martin Peitz, University of Mannheim
• Simone Wong, ACCC
• Stephen King, Productivity Commission and Monash University
• Sarah Benbow, Herbert Smith Freehills, Melbourne
• Simon Muys, Gilbert + Tobin, Melbourne

12:30 - 1:30 - Lunch

1:30 - Conference Concludes

Contact:

Impactlabs@monash.edu