The Competitive Edge

Hosted by Gilbert + Tobin

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Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

Get the lowdown on developments in competition law in Australia and around the world with The Competitive Edge, a competition law podcast. Each fortnight Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein explore insights and trends with our resident experts and special guests to give you the competitive edge.

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60 recent

September 2, 202640 min

1.21GW: Jamie Guthrie and Geoff Petersen with the good news on the energy transition

Energy partner Jamie Guthrie and Competition partner Geoff Petersen give us some good news on the energy transition, along with the challenges that lie ahead -- what the governments and energy networks are doing, the impact of data centres, how to finance it all, and a quasi-carbon tax. Plus merger reform reform gets closer, serial acquisitions in pets and vets, carmakers pull a fast one and the ACCC is furious, and FIFA finds out … All this and Marty McFly with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: Dr Emmett Lathrop Brown PhD on 1.21GW The long-awaited Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Accountability for Tax Adviser Misconduct and Other Measures) Bill 2026 More French leave in the Phase 2 Adelaide Hills vet merger , and the Microstar/Konvoy beer keg merger is 86ed The Furious 7 skydriving scene and the ACCC's case against Subaru The Hood's many defeats on The Thunderbirds The Nelson Review , aka the National Electricity Market wholesale market settings review RES Group's 1.21GW Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at edge@gtlaw.com.au Shai-Hulud Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 19, 202644 min

That’s a RAP! Reconciliation, competition law and the corporate challenge

That's a RAP: First Nations leaders Rachel Perkins, Fiona Jose and Shane Phillips join us at the Sydney launch of G+T's new Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan. What's a RAP, what's a Stretch RAP, what's our RAP, and what's the competition and consumer connection? Plus optimism and pessimism, model Ts and AI at the ACCC/AER Regulatory Conference, the Golden Globes lodge the Penske File, and the plan to wrap the Opera House. All this and more with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: Things that Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped or wanted to wrap Jayde Richmond from the National Anti-Scam Centre at the Bannerman Competition Lecture AER's final decision on the Basslink conversion Marinus Link and Marinus Dijkhuizen G+T on the new mandatory standards for large-scale data centres and the Office of AI Bono at the 2003 Golden Globes (NSFW) Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at edge@gtlaw.com.au Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 3, 202641 min

Twenty Twenty Six: Elizabeth Avery on international antitrust, merger review and theories of harm after the World Cup

Partner Elizabeth Avery gives us a world tour of new directions in competition law, theories of harm and merger review both here and overseas, and lessons from our role in the Paramount / Warner Bros merger. Plus news you can use on all the Phase 2s, declarations and exemptions in exceptional circumstances, scambling and other portmanteaux, and how to watch — and how definitely not to watch — The Odyssey … All this and — — — with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: Twenty Twenty Six on the BBC and the ABC How Perez Prado's Mambo No. 5 became that other one Coles's applications to the Competition Tribunal and the Federal Court L1 Dominette 01449's genome The Government's "exceptional circumstances" bill and the ACCC's class exemption The National Anti-Scam Centre's "scambling" taskforce and NSW's "betiquette" spot The Washington Post on all the ways you can watch The Odyssey Or you could read it! Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at edge@gtlaw.com.au Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 17, 202642 min

The Thursday Merger Club: Tanya Macdonald and Haidee Leung on the first year of the new merger regime

Partner Tanya Macdonald and Special Counsel Haidee Leung join us to talk about the first year of the new merger regime -- half-voluntary, half-mandatory -- how it started, how it's going, what's changed and the changes to come. Plus exceptional circumstances call for exceptional measures, the ACCC whacks Miyagi and probes Prime for unfair contract terms, and new rules target supermarket price-gouging … All this and the Anzac Act with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein . Links: The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix Is the Strait of Hormuz open? or Is the Strait of Hormuz closed? G+T on the ACCC's new powers to act in exceptional circumstances The ACCC's court action against Miyagi and Amazon for unfair contract terms ACCC media release , guidelines and the industry code on supermarket excessive pricing The ACCC's latest merger FAQs G+T on the latest changes to the merger control regime SBS on Anzac cookies and biscuits "Wogball: Australia's Beautiful Game" on SBS Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at edge@gtlaw.com.au Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 24, 202635 min

The Running Man: Dr Andrew Leigh MP on AI, National Competition Policy, non-competes and unfair trading practices

Dr Andrew Leigh, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury joins us to talk about AI, the revitalised National Competition Policy, non-competes and unfair trading practices, and competition on the field and in the economy. Plus, marathons and ultramarathons, the ParaSkyWarBroDisco merger, the 'Australia Plus' UK social media ban, and the ACCC takes Grill'd to court for greenwashing … All this, and Ewar Woowar, with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: Richard Bachman at Lilja's Library Randy Bachman on pronouncing Bachman-Turner Overdrive Ultraman: Rising on Netflix and "Ultraman Teo" coming soon. The UK Government announces its "Australia-plus" social media ban Shakespeare's "Sonnet VI" ACCC's case against Grill'd press release , concise statement and court file AEC profile of the electoral division of Fenner Dr Andrew Leigh's speech on competition policy for AI agents Anna Goldworthy's "The God We Made: The Threat and Promise of Artificial Intelligence" , Quarterly Essay 102 Edward Woodward obituary with unexpected Judi Dench Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at edge@gtlaw.com.au Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 10, 202645 min

Smoke and Stack: Professor Julian Wright on competition and regulation up and down the AI stack.

Professor Julian Wright from the National University of Singapore joins us to talk about competition and regulation up and down the AI stack -- from the chips to the chatbots and everything in between. Is it winner-takes-all or winner-takes most? Will the digital platforms displace the new labs? And do we need more regulation or less? Plus a competition conference is compliantly considered, Ampol/EG Australia is the first Phase 2 merger approved by the ACCC, the new-look unfair trading practices bill reaches parliament, and AI essays and encyclicals abound … All this and cinematic polycephaly with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: Michael B Jordan on playing identical twins Smoke and Stack in Sinners Three-eyed animals in Train Dreams and The Secret Agent ACCC approves Ampol's acquisition of EG Australia in first finalised Phase 2 Track the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Bill 2026 Damien Charlotin's AI Hallucination Cases Database Justice Needham, "AI and the Courts in 2025" Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical Letter, "Magnifica Humanitas" Prof Julian Wright, "Artificial Intelligence and Competition Policy" at ScienceDirect Anna Goldsworthy's Quarterly Essay, "The God We Made: The Threat and Promise of Artificial Intelligence" The Competitive Edge's cryptic crosswords , conspicuously inspired by Justice Wigney Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at edge@gtlaw.com.au Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 22, 202632 min

TSLRIC Poetry: Dr Lilla Csorgo on merger control, ex ante regulation, economics and literature

Dr Lilla Csorgo, lay member of the High Court of New Zealand, joins us to talk about being Chief Economist in three different countries, approaches to ex ante regulation and merger control, being approximately correct vs precisely wrong, and whether fiction and economics have anything in common. Plus, the ACCC wins against Coles in its “was/now/had been” pricing case, the courts have thoughts on NSW Ports, competition and consumer initiatives in the federal budget, and competition and consumer concerns at the FIFA World Cup … All this and e-micromobility with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: Henry Ergas, " TSLRIC, TELRIC and Other Forms of Forward-Looking Cost Models in Telecommunications: A Curmudgeon's Guide " at SSRN Softwar by Thierry Breton and Denis Beneich at The Internet Archive Prose and plays by Dr Lilla Csorgo ACCC v Coles [2026] FCA 598 Mayfield v NSW Ports [2026] HCA 21 Summary and Judgment " Why Susie sells seashells by the seashore: Implicit egotism and major life decisions ", Journey of Personality and Social Psychology , 82(4) 469-487 Why all fire trucks are called Dennis Discover your Hogwarts House at Hatty Potter Wizarding World Julien Guyon, " Risk of Collusion: Will Groups of 3 Ruin the FIFA World Cup? " The Disgrace of Gijon on YouTube Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at edge@gtlaw.com.au Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 6, 202639 min

Bannerman - The Legend of Ron Bannerman: ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward on the development of competition law in Australia and the centrality of enforcement

ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward delivered this year's Bannerman Competition Lecture (jointly hosted by the Business Law Section of the LCA and the ACCC), tracking the development of trade practices and competition law in Australia, the enduring influence of its first Commissioner and Chair and the challenges that lie ahead. Plus Woolworths and was/now pricing, Apple and app store access, and Mastercard and merchant routing in the courts; the future of cash revisited; and another Phase 2 review, this time for IAG and the RAC … All this and Bananaman with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April 21, 202639 min

O, for Hormuz of Fire: Geoff Petersen on the regulatory response to the fuel shocks that are raising prices and causing shortages around the world.

G+T Partner Geoff Petersen unpacks the regulatory response to the fuel shocks that are raising prices and causing shortages around the world, including security of energy supply and infrastructure, new demand from electric vehicles and data centres, and questions about fuel price gouging and domestic gas reservation.. Plus, the first quarter of the new merger regime and another round for the MicroStar/Konvoy acquisition, our new Solicitor-General of Australia, and the Wiggles deliver their product safety podcast … All this and a muse of fire with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: Derek Jacobi's "Wooden O" speech from Kenneth Branagh's Henry V Dire Straits, "Heavy Fuel" What was the googlewhack ? ACCC, "New merger regime off to a positive start" MicroStar/Konvoy on the new acquisitions register and the old public informal review register Attorney-General recommends Solicitor-General to Governor-General The Wiggles' podcast on button battery and toy safety The ACCC's weekly fuel price monitoring report G+T on the new maximum penalties for competition and consumer contraventions Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at edge@gtlaw.com.au Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April 1, 202640 min

The Secret Agent: Peter Waters and Andrew Low on the rise and the risks of agentic AI in commerce

Legend emeritus Peter Waters and Partner Andrew Low take us through the rise and the risks of agentic AI in commerce and beyond: how AI agents can organise our holidays and even our lives, why we might or might not want them to, and how they interface with contract, competition and consumer protection law. Plus, Australia's highest individual competition law penalty in the Qteq case, and the US war against Iran brings concerns over fuel supply and pricing as well as limits on AI. All this and Maxwell Smart with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein. Links: The ACCC's fuel price monitoring updates Treasury Laws Amendment (Doubling Penalties for ACCC Enforcement) Bill 2026 One of the David Byrnes talks to the ABC about petrol prices The other one sings " (Nothing but) Flowers " Anthropic on its dispute with the Department of War and its preliminary reprieve (for now) Meet the Gilbert + Tobin Competition, Consumer + Market Regulation team Email us at edge@gtlaw.com.au Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.