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Articles by Bruce Lloyd
Don't risk re-notification: ACCC Encourages Merger Parties to notify under New Mandatory Merger Regime from 1 July 2025
The ACCC has foreshadowed in its transitional guidelines released today risks that proposed acquisitions may not be cleared if filed with the ACCC late this year, and encourages businesses to notify under the new merger regime under the transitional arrangements commencing from 1 July 2025. Parties to an acquisition that is not cleared or not opposed by the end of the year may need to re-notify, incurring additional time and costs and putting time sensitive transactions at risk.
Cost of living pressures, digital transformation and merger reforms: a busy year ahead for ACCC
ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb yesterday announced the ACCC’s compliance and enforcement priorities for 2025-26. The key focus was on sectors and conduct which have significant impact on cost of living and the cost of doing business, with the link between informed consumers and robust competition clearer than ever.
Automotive snapshot: proposed changes to the Franchising Code, automotive litigation
Have your say on proposed changes to the Franchising Code On 7 May 2024, the Federal Government announced that it had agreed (at least in principle) to all the recommendations of the independent review of the Franchising Code of Conduct (Code) that commenced in August 2023. The move is consistent with the Government's promise to deliver "a better deal" for small businesses. The Government proposes to release an exposure draft of the Code later this year for comment.
Faster, stronger and simpler? Ambitious changes to Australia's merger control regime announced by Treasury
According to Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Australian merger control will be "faster and stronger and simpler" from 1 January 2026 when fundamental changes to introduce a mandatory, suspensory administrative regime are due to come into effect. Announcing the change this morning, he confirmed that all deals falling above certain (yet to be defined) thresholds will require notification to and approval from the ACCC prior to completion. The agenda is clearly ambitious and promises a lot.
So why did Dad quit the National Rifle Association?
The home “Rec” (Recreation Room) was a 20th-century standard in the United States. Spare rooms and basements got the treatment with new walls, fancy furniture and — gasp — even new color TVs. Somehow, this never quite got done in the home I grew up in. Nothing was finished down in the basement. There was an extra bathroom that never got enclosed, no new furniture and the normal functions of the workshop and storage remained unchanged. We didn’t recreate down there often.
Digital Platform Regulatory Reform - Government flags "in principle" support for ACCC recommendations
In its fifth interim Digital Platform Services Inquiry report published in November 2022 (and again in its seventh interim report on the topic of "expanding digital platform ecosystems" published in November 2023), the ACCC made a series of recommendations for regulatory reform to address what it sees as competition and consumer law issues specifically affecting digital platforms.
Competition policy under review by Albanese Government
23 Aug 2023 Time to read: 2.5 MIN The Albanese Government is turning its attention to enhancing competition in the Australian market by conducting a comprehensive review of competition policy. The Review will have a two-year timeframe suggesting that there will be a considerable period before any changes proposed will be implemented.
Automotive snapshot: fuel consumption labels, cartels, environmental claims, class actions
The road ahead for Australia's first National Electric Vehicle Strategy On Wednesday, April 19th, the Australian Federal Government released the nation's first National Electric Vehicle Strategy. The strategy, announced by the Labor Government, outlines a roadmap to increase the uptake of electric vehicles and help achieve Australia's emissions reduction goals.
Merger reform, unfair trading laws, and anticompetitive sustainability initiatives firmly in the ACCC's sights
A speech given by Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb unveiled a bold reform agenda and sustainability enforcement priorities. The Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Gina Cass-Gottlieb, has, for the first time as Chair, confirmed that the ACCC continues to advocate for significant reforms to Australia's merger control regime first proposed by former Chair Rod Sims in 2021.
Cost of living, unfair practices and anti-competitive conduct as key ACCC compliance and enforcement priorities for 2023
At her first annual address at the helm of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Gina Cass-Gottlieb outlined the agency's compliance and enforcement priorities for 2023/24.
Daniel Immerwahr: Redrawing the US map
Teaching American history in venues as varied as the University of California-Berkeley and San Quentin Prison, now Northwestern University professor Daniel Immerwahr began to sense that traditional American history and the normal maps of the nation failed, or one might say, served to conceal its true dimensions.
‘The bloodiest thing’
Gen. Douglas MacArthur wades ashore during initial landings at Leyte, Philippine. File photo from Wikimedia Commons Northwestern University professor Daniel Immerwahr said a long-ago research trip to Manila set him on a course leading to his new book, “How to Hide an Empire,” which examines how the U.S. came to possess islands, atolls and other territories far from the conventionally taught 48 state U.S. mainland.
Archbishop Byrnes to be formally installed June 29 in Rome
Elaborate travel arrangements for Archbishop of the Diocese of Agana Michael J. Byrnes published on the website JungleWatch have revealed plans for his visit to the Vatican in late June. Byrnes, the third Archbishop of Agana, will be the subject of a Celebration of the Conferral of the Pallium.
Dice will be rolling again at 2019 Liberation carnival
Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has signed off on a law establishing a new set of rules for the gambling that will take place at this year's annual Liberation Carnival, satisfying demands by the Guam Council of Mayors and various other parties for a means to pay for events associated with the 75th anniversary of the island's liberation from Japanese occupation without dipping into tax revenue. The events to be supported include the carnival, the Liberation Day parade and the later fireworks.
The 4th estate under siege in Yap
Just a word to those thinking about a career in a field that in President Donald J. Trump’s Washington, D.C. shorthand these days is described as producing “fake news.” Ignore that self-serving crap, which has blighted the lives of so many professionals who have spent decades figuring out how to report on the communities in which they live and work, because in the final analysis, what they’re doing and what you want to do is worth doing and essential to democratic government.
Recreational pot now legal on Guam
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has signed a bill making recreational pot legal on Guam. “I have the decided to sign the bill into law. My decision was made with open,” Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said at a press conference in Adelup, where she announced the signing of Bill 32-35, which had sparked a heated community debate. “At the end of the day, I have to answer this question,” said the governor, who openly supported recreational marijuana during her election campaign.
Docomo opens groundbreaking 5G internet lab
Its 'Open Lab Guam' offers businesses a chance to work in the island's first 5G environment Guam's Docomo Pacific is first up on the island with truly cutting edge technology at its Tamuning headquarters.
Leon Guerrero acknowledges women who came before
At a U.S. District Court ceremony which conferred U.S. citizenship on 38 persons from different countries, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero noted that March is Women's History Month. She told a story that is familiar to many on the island about Mrs.
My pal Jeff Bezos outs blackmailing, creepy National Enquirer
I’ve had a relationship with Jeff Bezos since 1996 or so the Amazon website tells me every time I drop by. 1996! That’s even before Bezos took Amazon public and a real long time before the financial media began referring to him as the richest man in the world. Back then, Amazon was all about books and I was living on Saipan. I can think of many nice things to say about Saipan and the CNMI where I lived for many years, but my environment then was a bookstore free desert.
ACCC's 2019 priorities: Strong enforcement action with a focus on anti-competitive practices and consumer law penalties | Lexology
Australia
February 28 2019 Australian businesses – particularly financial services, digital advertising, energy, telcos, retailers and manufacturers – should prepare for increased scrutiny from the ACCC, which will be pushing for penalties above $100m for breaches of both the Competition and Consumer Act (CCA) and Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
Report suggests Guam residents view government as corrupt
If you ask a lot of people on Guam, they’ll be quick to tell you that there’s widespread corruption within the government and other institutions that influence the everyday lives of citizens. They will often cite the "pari" system, suggesting that you have to know or be related to someone up there in the government to get by. Whether true or not, this perception by the people has a negative effect on both the local economy and the functioning of the government.
Fake FaceBook page for Governor Leon Guerrero
By now almost anyone with a presence on FaceBook has had the experience. Someone you know turns up as a proposed FB friend. You click on the link, send a message to your new friend and that's about it. Except when it isn't. Bogus FB pages are a pretty lively part of the FB experience and prominent and everyday parties are hacked in this way all the time.
State funeral for former Piti Mayor Vicente Diaz Gumataotao
Ninety-one years. It is an exceptional number of years for anyone to live, but then, "Uncle Ben" appears to have packed every one of those years with activity and public service to Guam and the United States in a unique and feisty style that went on to the end. As his many relatives, friends and associates gathered at the Guam Congress building in Hagatna for his state funeral, Supreme Court Associate Justice F. Philip Carbullido, his neighbor in Piti for many years, remembered him in the eulogy.
Rent director Urquico on Guam theater and local actors
It’s not simple to stage any kind of musical theater anywhere, but right now it’s happening on the stage at Tumon Bay’s SandCastle. And World Theatre Productions is doing it with the help of local and national arts organizations and private sector sponsors The Guam version of the popular play and later movie opened Nov. 28 and will have performances at the SandCastle on Dec. 1-2, in observance of World AIDS Day. A special concert for World Aids Day will be held on Saturday, Dec.
Want to value your copyright? ACCC releases draft Copyright Guidelines for public consultation | Lexology
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's draft Copyright Guidelines, if finalised, may be considered by the Copyright Tribunal of Australia when determining reasonable copyright remuneration. The methodology for pricing copyright materials is under scrutiny, with the release on 23 October 2018 of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's draft Copyright Guidelines for public consultation.
Guam candidates check out protest at Navy gate
There were no Navy personnel to be seen--security or otherwise--outside the gate of U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station base Saturday as Guam residents peacefully protested the destruction of a preservation site on the base.
Truth v. fiction
I recently heard a TV commentary describing the Watergate scandal of the 1970s as “quaint” and “pedestrian.” That’s quite a comment, given that Watergate forced a president to resign, sent a number of his associates and appointees to prison and carved out a previously unchallenged label as America’s worst political scandal in its 200 year plus history.
Grab a police officer's gun, face a Guam felony charge
To the surprise of many on Guam, it's not presently illegal to try to disarm a police officer of a loaded weapon while he or she is performing public safety duties. Guam Sen. Telena C. Nelson is out to change that. Her Bill No. 324-34 (COR) states, "The disarming of peace officers is found to be a felony in other states throughout the nation.
Store employees allegedly suffer unjust labor practices in Chuuk
(This story has been updated to include a statement sent on Oct. 1, 2026, by the company's representative.) Recurring incidents of unjust labor practices and human trafficking by a retail store in the Federated States of Micronesia have remained unaddressed despite numerous complaints filed by alleged victims. The complaints came from employees of Padma Enterprises, which operates the Saki Store and the JG/Roshi Store in Chuuk, FSM.
Protesters decry inaction, light fine in 2017 pipeline spill
Members of the environmental group Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian have seen the official response to the 2017 incident in which a military contractor waited nearly three months to notify the Guam Environmental Protection Agency about accidentally spilling 100 gallons of jet fuel and 10 gallons of fuel-contaminated water and they're disappointed. The jet fuel spill occurred during an upgrade to a pipeline from Sasa Valley to Andersen AFB one year ago in August 2017.
Whatever the weather, Guam Dems rally pre-primary
Never mind the just-issued flash flooding warning for Guam, concern about a potential tsunami from a Fiji earthquake and flat out pouring rain at the Hagatna rally site, Guam Democrats from one of the four competing gubernatorial camps turned out in quantity Sunday following islandwide motorcades through the murky weather. The holy grail is a victory in the August 25th primary next weekend.
13 days to primary, Guam Republicans fight complacency
On a busy Guam political weekend with a primary election less than two weeks away, island Democrats and Republicans were busy with retail politicking, from motorcades, to shopping mall forums and for the Republicans, a major rally at a skate park in the northern village of Dededo on Sunday.
Why not require-by law-that all Americans own a gun?
Big Guns, novel by former Congressman Steve Israel, 2018 Steve Israel recently retired from the U.S. House of Representatives after a 15 year stint, which, despite the minority status of his Democratic party for much of that time, appears to have left his sense of humor intact. His new satiric novel applies sharp elbows to plenty of the people and ideas that have become mainstream under the Trump presidency.
University of Guam’s new president meets the press
Two days into his tenure as president of the University of Guam, Dr. Thomas W. Krise is working to get his bearings in the new role, but generally pleased with what he’s seen so far. “This institution has a lot to be proud of and I’m proud to be part of the team now,” Dr. Krise told local Guam reporters at a sort of ‘get to know you’ event at his office on campus Wednesday.
Witch Hunt 2.0
Somewhere in the steady flow of changing by the minute developments in the non-stop Trump-Putin-Russia interference coverage, I heard Jill Wine-Banks observe that it was about time for President Trump to retire his increasingly tired characterization of the Mueller probe and investigation as a ‘witch hunt.’ Ms. Wine-Banks had a better-than-front row seat for the last presidential scandal that got this kind of attention as a Watergate prosecutor.
Guam Liberation Festival kicks off at the Paseo
The annual festival which leads up to Guam's July 21st Liberation Day observation got underway Wednesday night as tourists lined up for barbecue and food trucks parked as close as possible while light rain sprinkled the grounds. Nearly 30 vendors and a slew of entertainment are planned for this year’s annual Liberation Festival. According to a news release from the Governor's office, this year’s festival will start July 11 and end on July 22.
T.S. Maria tough on Guam politicians
Guam residents were mopping up at mid-morning Thursday, after a night of high winds, heavy rain and flash flooding. The biggest visible casualties of Tropical Storm Maria appeared to be the political signs that have been going up all over the island.
Guam demonstration plugs Agent Orange awareness
It's not exactly a big secret that the United States made free use of the defoliant, Agent Orange, during and after the Vietnam War. It was used throughout the theatre of that war, as those who served in Vietnam, Okinawa and Guam were well aware at the time. What was not known about Dow Chemical's famous product was its eventual impacts on the uniformed humans who applied it to airfields and sprayed it to clear jungle growth, depriving the enemy of cover during the shooting war.
Adios to my stateside presidential vote (I think)
Voting was an unquestioned obligation in my family growing up, so it was deeply depressing to learn that my move to Guam in 1980 marked the end to my say in presidential elections, something I’d been exercising since 1968. Then, in the run-up to the 2004 election, legal lights of my acquaintance on Saipan informed me that as a then CNMI resident, based on the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, I could register and vote for federal offices.
Confusion reigns as Guam fire stations shut down, police precinct semi-shuts down
Governor Calvo keeps legislature in session, cuts critical services because he can Guam senators returned to session Saturday night at the call of the governor with the understanding that they were being pressured to pass his various pieces of tax legislation to deal with GovGuam's proclaimed $67 million deficit for the current fiscal year or endure various cuts in government services.
Guam faces tax collection need as Trump cut hits bottom line
Guam Public Auditor Doris Flores Brooks and Llewelyn Terlaje It’s pretty clear already that the massive tax cuts for which President Trump and his Congressional supporters are loudly claiming credit are going to starve local U.S. jurisdictions including Guam as millions in federal funding is lost. But how do you solve this problem if your local tax collector can’t produce reliable data describing the situation accurately?
Vigil at Ritidian anticipates start of firing range construction
Eva Aguon Cruz (Photo: Kia Feliciano) Some 150 opponents of construction of firing ranges at North West Field above the ancient Ritidian village gathered late Sunday afternoon to express themselves, given that military sources have suggested that construction activities will begin in the next few weeks. They sang and chanted in Sanskrit and Chamorro, addressing long departed ancestors in the area. Others cited lost resources, turtle nesting sites and traditional medicinal plants (amut).
Rodriguez throws hat in ring for Adelup
Four term legislator joins a crowded field; Running mate to be announced in next few weeks Senator Dennis G. Rodriguez Jr. went into campaign mode Tuesday, announcing he'll pursue the Guam governorship later this year. Rodriguez had earlier been rumored to be former Governor Carl T.C. Gutierrez' pick as a Lieutenant Governor running mate. Gutierrez has not yet announced his candidacy or a prospective running mate.
Judge Moore inherits the Alabama wind
It was one of those truly unforgettable days for those of us entangled in the history of American politics, as we watched the December 12 Alabama election unfold on local TV screens. The Democratic victor, Doug Jones, as we all know now, is on his way to the U.S. Senate after toppling the original odds-on favorite, Judge Roy Moore, accused molester of teenage girls and well known for his contempt of the basic contents of the U.S. Constitution.
Senator San Nicolas splits the military buildup screen
Former Senator Hope Cristobal shares the screen with San Nicolas opposing his resolution Guam’s military buildup has been the subject of plenty of controversy for years, with the most recent flashpoint being the planned firing range at the former Northwest Field at Andersen Air Force Base.
As Bitcoin crypto-currency values skyrocket, Guam coffee shop unveils the first Bitcoin ATM
Benny Pinaula guides David McConkey through an initial transaction on the Bitcoin ATM The Saturday morning crowd at Brewed Awakenings in Harmon, Guam was packed with Bitcoin early adopters, enthusiasts and those who have chosen to make a business of a currency that is still unknown to many. In some cases, many present fitted into all three categories.
An insider looks at the U.S. Supreme Court
If your view of the U.S. Supreme Court was formed in junior high school civics classes, you likely have an image of scholarly justices in the law library combing through dusty tomes in an effort to figure out what the founding fathers had in mind when they drafted the Constitution in the 18th century and applying this to the 21st century. It seems rather remote to the lives of most Americans who did not graduate from law school.
The America forgotten by a lot of Americans
The Not-Quite States of America, By Doug Mack, Norton, 2017 No one who lives or has ever lived in a U.S. territory is going to quibble with author’s premise, stated early in the book: “[F]or the average resident of the states, the territories are all but forgotten. They’re extant but inconsequential vestiges from another era whose ongoing existence is a cultural curiosity, like Tab soda or professional mini golf.
Ship-ashore! Actually it's a traditional canoe, arriving on Guam within minutes of its scheduled
There they are! After leaving Rota and heading to Guam, the Okeanos easily met its promised 8:30 a.m. arrival time, though it hung out off-shore for a while due to questions about how Guam customs inspectors would do their required work. The Okeanos pulled into the Guam Boat Basin shortly after 9 a.m., but then had to adjourn to a pier across the channel for the customs scrutiny. The canoe-bound travelers were later greeted back at the canoe house in the midst of a drenching rain squall.
Dad didn’t need no stinkin’ bump stock!
Charles N. Lloyd with a trophy elk, 1941 My late father attempted to educate his oldest son about automatic weapons early. His concern and explanation seemed to be—to a first grader—that machine guns might be used to attack the state capitol in our home town, therefore, they were illegal. But dad was definitely a gun guy. A lifelong hunter of deer, pheasants and occasionally ducks.
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