Top 100 Lobbyists: Pandemic ushers in explosion of lobbying activity
The pandemic may have indefinitely suspended most in-person lobbying campaigns and social engagements, but lobbyists say they’re busier than they’ve ever been. While COVID-19 hasn’t changed the “fundamentals” of the business, for those at the top of their game, it’s driven home the need to be more attuned to the pressures facing the government, and […]
New quarantine measures won’t affect hotel industry’s bottom line, but may create more stress, say stakeholders
Hotel industry stakeholders say that Canada’s new quarantine measures for incoming air travellers aren’t likely to have too much of a financial benefit on business, but may put strain on an already strained industry. Introduced Jan. 29, the new rules state that all air passengers returning from non-essential trips abroad must quarantine within a government-chosen […]
Former innovation minister Bains was most-lobbied minister in 2020
As COVID-19 changed the course of history and the government’s agenda, former innovation minister Navdeep Bains emerged as the most-lobbied minister in 2020, taking the top spot from Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, who was the most sought-after minister in 2019, according to a Hill Times analysis of all monthly communication reports filed with the lobbying […]
The long-lasting impacts of lobbying during COVID
As we look back on a tumultuous year, simply put, lobbying has changed dramatically. Just as every industry and business had to adjust, the lobbyists who represent them showed the depth of their adaptability. The changes thrust upon us in such a short period of time created many challenges and gave us all a crash […]
The Canadian lobbying regime works as intended, but there’s always room for improvement
Canadians deserve to know who is communicating with their federal officials and expect that lobbying activities be conducted in an ethical manner. A global pandemic is no exception. Profoundly affected by change and uncertainty brought on by a global pandemic, businesses in various industry sectors, health and social services, individuals, and families alike, competed to […]
Canadians deserve good, ethical government
When government actions have served the interests of the powerful and well-connected insiders, Canadians are left with a very discouraging impression: that there is one set of rules for the government and another set of rules for the people they govern. During the pandemic, as Parliamentarians were working around the clock to get help to […]
If the legislation ain’t broke …
The federal Lobbying Act is (past) due for its legislatively mandated parliamentary review. Again. Let me tell you why Parliament need not spend too much time on this: it works fine. The act, and the resulting registry, conspicuously publish the who’s who of government engagement at the federal level in Canada. Mission accomplished. It is […]
Lobbying for a better post-COVID Canada
Governments have perhaps never been more present in our lives than they have been in the last year, in terms of both their words and their actions. Political leaders and public health officials speak to us on a daily basis, via televised briefings, about the spread of COVID-19 and the behaviours and restrictions required in […]
Democracy in extraordinary times
As the COVID-19 crisis enters its second year in Canada, we ought to reflect on what it tells us about the resilience and fate of our democratic tradition. Many observers have expressed concerns over the impact that COVID-19 measures have on core democratic principles. Some of the harshest critics have decried that by diluting usual […]
Finance Committee chair Easter top non-cabinet-MP target for lobbyists in 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic kept MPs away from Ottawa for most of the year, but that didn’t stop lobbyists from meeting with MPs to try and influence both the government’s and the opposition’s agenda. Liberal MP and House Finance Committee chair Wayne Easter was lobbied 190 times in 2020, the most for an MP not serving […]
