Amazon Canada: An executive who threatened to shut down its platform has resigned

Amazon Canada’s director of public policy, James Maunder, has announced he is leaving the company, after threatening to shut down an e-commerce platform if Ottawa decided to introduce tougher competition laws.

That’s what he announced in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, noting that it was a “difficult” choice.

“I am very proud of what we accomplished together and what the team has provided to our vendors and customers across Canada,” he wrote.

“That is why my decision to leave Amazon has been so difficult, especially now. But I am leaving with a great sense of accomplishment and excitement for the future – for myself and the team.”

Mr. Maunder has been responsible for lobbying efforts at Amazon Canada for just over two years.

The move came weeks after “The Logic” obtained a recording of Mr. Maunder saying at a 2021 meeting that Amazon would close its Marketplace if Ottawa adopted “American-style” changes to competition law.

The Trudeau government has floated the possibility of making changes to this law with the aim of limiting the power of web giants like Amazon or even Google.

“If Canada passes US-style antitrust legislation — the six bills currently in Congress — we said in the US, the Marketplace would have to close. You would see similar action in Canada in response to similar policy actions,” the recording can be heard according to “Logic” .

Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Gabel did not say if the CEO’s departure was related to the publication of the comments. “We appreciate all that James has done during his time with us, and we wish him well in his next step,” she said in a statement to the newspaper.

Remember, Amazon Marketplace is an e-commerce platform that allows third parties to sell new and used products. There are approximately 40,000 sellers on the Canadian version launched in 2003.