Toronto Stock Exchange operator TMX Group and its merger partner Maple Group, a consortium of local Canadian financial institutions, defended their proposed tie-up today at a public hearing with Quebec’s securities regulator amid growing local opposition to the deal.

The hearing came as Europe's antitrust regulator sought industry feedback on the proposed tie-up between NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Börse, and on the same day as the UK's Competition Commission finally signed off Bats Global Markets' takeover of Chi-X Europe.