ON Lobbying - a newsletter

Information & Resources for Lobbyist Registration in Ontario

Issue 14

December 2020

In this issue...

We know you may wish to spread holiday cheer but offering a gift to a public office holder could hurt your career!

Offering a gift or sending a treat to someone you are lobbying could place them in a conflict of interest.

If you knowingly place a public office holder you are lobbying in a position of real or potential conflict of interest, you are breaching the Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998.

Avoid a holiday hassle:

  1. Review the Integrity Commissioner’s Guidance for Lobbyists on Gifts and the Interpretation Bulletin on conflict of interest.
  2. Contact the Office to get an Advisory Opinion about the gift you want to offer.
 

In October, Ontario’s Lobbyist Registrar J. David Wake joined the federal Commissioner of Lobbying Nancy Belanger and City of Toronto Lobbyist Registrar Cristina Di Caprio for a Lobbying Compliance and Registration webinar hosted by the Public Affairs Association of Canada.

Commissioner Wake spoke about the Office of the Integrity Commissioner’s activities to encourage and enforce compliance with the Lobbyists Registration Act during the past year. He also answered questions about the requirements of the Act and the impact of COVID-19 on lobbying.
 

The newly added Subject Matter “COVID-19/pandemic response” is currently the 8th most selected subject in the lobbyist registry. More than 700 registrations list it as a subject of lobbying.

You can check real time statistics about the registry on our website.

Lobbying Statistics
 

Getting an error message when creating or updating your registration?

You might have gone over the word limit. Certain registration questions require a written response in a text box.

Each text box has a 250-word limit and you won’t be able to save your answers and submit the registration if you go over the limit.

If you get an error message, try shortening your answer.
 

Providing information about non-compliance with the Act

Our office accepts information from individuals about potential non-registered lobbying or other non-compliance with the Lobbyists Registration Act.

Information Form

The information provided is assessed before the Integrity Commissioner, as Lobbyist Registrar, decides to start an investigation. Individuals who submit information about alleged non-compliance do not receive updates or reports on the matter because the Act prevents the Office from disclosing whether the Commissioner is investigating a matter.
 
 
Want more resources? Go to www.oico.on.ca/home/lobbyists-registration

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