‘Senate is not this monolithic rubber stamp anymore,’ independent Senate will change legislative process, Hill power structures
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s strategy to create a non-partisan and more independent Upper Chamber also means Senators will have to be involved in the front end of the policy process, there will need to be attitudinal changes at the political and institutional levels, changes will have to be made in how Senators are engaged, new parliamentary strategies will […]
Let the good times roll: large boost in lobbying thanks to new government’s collaborative, accessible approach, say lobbyists
Federal lobbyists say they are busier now than in years past thanks to a new and more accessible Liberal government eager to consult along with new possibilities opening up under an increasingly independent Senate. “The Senate has undergone a real change. I won’t say that it wasn’t relevant before, but pretty well once things got through the House […]
Lobbyists eye caucus retreats, but jury’s out on how useful, appropriate it is for GR folks to attend
Lobbyists say summer caucus retreats of the major federal parties can provide opportunities for them to consult with politicians, though party officials are giving the impression that lobbyists will not exactly be given the red-carpet treatment at this year’s events. Even some lobbyists question how useful and appropriate it is for them to attend the […]
Lobbyists to focus on marijuana, defence procurement, infrastructure, caucus retreats, departmental consultations this summer
Federal lobbyists, including some who will attend the Liberal and Conservative caucus retreats, are focusing this summer on the upcoming marijuana legalization law and the Health Accord, defence procurement, infrastructure investments, pre-budget consultations, and various departmental consultations. Louis-Alexandre Lanthier, a lobbyist with Summa Strategies Canada and a former staffer to Liberal MP Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) […]
The rise of the independent Senate, get used to it
OTTAWA—Not only did the Senate’s treatment of Bill C-14, Medical Assistance in Dying, provide Canadians with a very thoughtful and refreshing level of debate on an important issue, it also served notice to the government that a true independent Senate is rising from the ashes of the traditional party-controlled Upper Chamber, and if the Senate […]
Lobbying, ethics commissioners given six-month extensions
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet reappointed Canada’s federal lobbying commissioner Karen Shepherd and ethics commissioner Mary Dawson to six more months last week after their terms expired. Privy Council Office spokesman Raymond Rivet said Thursday that cabinet was recommending Ms. Shepherd and Ms. Dawson be appointed to interim extensions that would last no more than six months. Cameron Ahmad, a […]
Re-opening Canada’s prison farms is just the first step
Recently, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced that he will launch a study on whether it’s possible to restore two of the former federal prison farms that are based in the Kingston area. The farms, which were run by the Correctional Service Canada, were renowned not only for their prize cattle but also for their […]
NDP leadership race officially underway, but candidacy announcements unlikely until fall
The NDP leadership race which will last more than a year officially got underway last weekend, though no announcements about candidacies are expected soon. The party is heading into a race that will see its next leader decided in, potentially, a series of votes over the course of the month in October 2017 with several mini-conventions […]
Innovation Minister Bains most lobbied minister in Trudeau cabinet
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains is easily the most lobbied member of the Trudeau cabinet in the Liberal government’s term so far. Mr. Bains (Mississauga-Malton, Ont.), the top official of the newly named department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada), had 116 communication reports filed since the new government took office in […]
Lobbying Act prohibitions not needed
Re: “Lobbyists, watchdog call for changes to post-employment rules as exemption requests grow,” (The Hill Times, June 15, p. 1). Marco Vigliotti’s article has addressed important issues relating to the Lobbying Act and its application. The call by critics to review “blanket prohibitions” should have included a more fundamental issue: should the act provide for […]
