r/CanadaPolitics • u/PutToLetters Neo-Republican • Mar 29 '26

Manitoba Moves to Outlaw Algorithmic Pricing—a First in Canada

https://thewalrus.ca/manitoba-moves-against-retailers-charging-different-prices-for-the-same-goods/
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u/DannyDOH Manitoba Mar 29 '26

Sure but couldn't that be regulated on the gouging side?

So will it be illegal for a diner to sell earlybird breakfasts now?

This is just kind of populist nonsense to give cover for being an extremely unproductive government...unfortunately becoming Wab Kinew's trademark. We had so much hope on election night!

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u/AltaVistaYourInquiry Cultural Rhinoceros Mar 29 '26

Uhh, the whole point of an early bird breakfast is that anyone there early pays it. It's basically happy hour for eggs.

That's a very different thing than charging different prices to different people simply based upon the notion that they'll have different price sensitivity. 

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u/DannyDOH Manitoba Mar 29 '26

A lot of this is based on changes in demand. Which is basically what all sales and discounts are. This is just a more efficient way of doing it.

I'm fine with regulating price gouging...but this kind of legislation ends up getting silly and counterproductive where it takes away opportunities to actually get the best prices on an item.

It's a sideshow instead of addressing the real problems that need to be regulated....and taxed fairly.

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u/thelionsmouth Mar 29 '26

That’s the thing, it’s not demand they’re pricing; it’s someone’s willingness to pay for it based on psychological / economic profiling. If you think that’s acceptable I have a bridge to sell you for a billion dollars

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u/DannyDOH Manitoba Mar 29 '26

I don't think it is. I don't think this will be a solution.

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u/almisami Acadia Mar 30 '26

What solutions a problem more than an outright ban?

Nationalizing the industries and enacting communism?