Bill 102 2001

An Act to protect consumers

and prevent price-gouging

in situations of crisis

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Prohibition

1. (1) In a situation of crisis, no person whose business includes the retail sale of products or services shall, in the area affected by the situation, sell a necessary product or service to another person at a price higher than the price charged immediately before the crisis began.

Exception

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if the price increase corresponds to an increase in the seller's cost of providing the necessary product or service.

Examples of "crisis"

(3) Some examples of what constitutes a crisis for the purposes of this Act are,

(a) an emergency within the meaning of the Emergency Plans Act that takes place in Ontario;

(b) a similar event elsewhere in the world that causes travellers to be stranded in Ontario.

Definition

(4) In this section,

"necessary product or service" means any product or service that a person may require to protect his or her health or safety or to protect his or her property.

Penalty

2. (1) Any individual who contravenes section 1 is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $10,000, or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year, or to both.

Corporations

(2) Any corporation who contravenes section 1 is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $100,000.

Commencement

3. This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

4. The short title of this Act is the Anti-Price-Gouging Act, 2001.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill prohibits unjustified increases, in situations of crisis, in the price of products and services needed to protect health and safety and to protect property.