Democracy Watch and citizen advocacy groups prepare opposition to proposed Lobbyists’ Code changes
Democracy Watch says it’s gathering as many signatures as it can of organizations in opposition to rules changes proposed by the federal lobbying commissioner that would ease restrictions on lobbyists, with plans to bring the weight of public pressure to the House Ethics Committee when it reconvenes in the fall. “That’s certainly the position we’ll […]
Laws must be repealed and sex work must be decriminalized immediately
MONTREAL—On June 22, the House Justice and Human Rights Committee tabled its report following hearings on laws criminalizing sex work. The current Criminal Code provisions, known as the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA), were adopted in 2014 after the Supreme Court of Canada struck down previous laws in the landmark Bedford decision. […]
Coalition warns of ‘death knell’ to cryptocurrency industry under proposed tax law changes
A new coalition of companies representing Canada’s cryptocurrency sector are urging the federal government not to move forward with a proposed tax law change, which they argue has the potential to kill their nascent industry. “The reality is that by putting in these proposed changes to the tax code, they’re going to increase our costs […]
On, then off, then on once again: Conservative leadership contenders set to debate in Calgary
Mark your calendars, it’s now official. The Western Standard is set to host a debate between (most) of the candidates vying for the Conservative Party’s top job on July 8, the first Friday of the all-important Conservative campaign trail destination: the Calgary Stampede. Originally scheduled for July 9, the Alberta-based independent media outlet decided to […]
Online streaming bill risks pushing out Indigenous voices, says APTN
Indigenous peoples in Canada are at risk of losing their voice on the airwaves if proposed legislation to update the Broadcasting Act forces the smaller, independent broadcasters to do their own negotiating as services increasingly move online, says the CEO of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN). “Right now we see online distributors are growing […]
Supporting Canadian culture should not mean compromising how you celebrate music
We need to talk about Canadian music. Right now, the music industry at large is undergoing an explosive level of growth, growing 18.5 per cent globally last year. Technology enables songs to go viral in seconds, and allows creativity to flow between people, culture, and borders. And YouTube is part of this evolution—it’s become the place for […]
Heated Conservative leadership race could cause ‘some bleed,’ but desire to win government will keep party united, say strategists
Amidst one of the most heated and divisive political leadership races in recent memory, Conservative strategists argue the party’s desire to win government in the next election could be enough to keep the party united, no matter the result—and no matter how ugly it might get along the way. “I think it’s been more personal […]
Environmental lobbying leads for third month in April, including discussions about Senate environment bills
Environmental discussions topped federal advocacy for the third consecutive month in April, with one of the most active organizations targeting climate change policy and Senate bills related to the environment. “I think with a newly re-elected government in the fall there’s a pretty busy agenda, in terms of things that they’d like to get done […]
Industry lobbying under guise of pandemic stimuli pressing own interests behind closed doors
The pandemic emergency has been used by business interests to gain access to government officials to present corporate demands while claiming that they want to help out during this health crisis. Here are a few major examples that come from recent access to information requests or from leaks. Natural Resources Canada was receptive in 2020 […]
Groups return to ‘invaluable’ in-person advocacy on the Hill after years lobbying behind screens
The return of in-person lobby days in Ottawa continued in May, with representatives of organizations glad to be back on Parliament Hill to pursue dialogue with MPs face-to-face for the first time in years. Among those organizations was the Direct Sellers Association of Canada (DSA), a trade association representing companies that market and distribute products […]
