Information & Resources for Lobbyist Registration in Ontario

Issue 1 

October 2018

The Integrity Commissioner of Ontario, as Lobbyists Registrar, is pleased to launch ON Lobbying - a newsletter for Ontario's lobbyists.

This newsletter will be issued up to six times a year and will cover legislation and compliance issues as well as tips on how to navigate Ontario's Lobbyist Registry.

If you haven't already done so, please subscribe to receive future issues. You can also forward this issue to your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe!

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New legislation? Time to update your registration

As new legislation is introduced and debated at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, lobbyists must be sure that their registrations accurately reflect their lobbying activity.

When legislation is introduced

Make sure the lobbying activity section in your registration reflects the name and number of the bill. This should appear in the section titled “Bill or resolution”. Your lobbying activity should provide a complete summary of what you hope to achieve with your lobbying efforts.

When a bill is passed

Your lobbying activity may change. You may be lobbying about the development of a program under the act, or about the development of regulations. If so, your activity should be listed in the appropriate subsection, i.e. "Policy and/or Program" or "Regulation".

Need the bill number or to check if it's been passed?

Go to ola.org for information about current legislation at Queen's Park.

What are the deadlines to update or change a registration?

All lobbyists have 30 days from the date of the change to update their registrations. If you are lobbying on a new piece of legislation, that means you must update your registration within 30 days of the date the bill was introduced.

Want to learn more? Check out our Guide to the Lobbyists Registration Act.

Guide
 

Just want to take a look at your registration?

 

There are two ways to do this:

  • Click the Search box on the OIC website to see how your registration appears to the public. No login is required.
  • Alternatively, you can log in and click on “View my registrations”. Use this when you are unsure if a change might be required. If you select “Change an existing registration (not a renewal)”, you will automatically create a new version of the registration that has to be submitted to the registry, even if you don’t make any changes.

 
 

Every lobbyist registration must include a complete description of lobbying activity.

The question you must answer: “What are you attempting to influence or accomplish as a result of your communications with Ontario public office holders?”

Clear and concise descriptions are important. Vague, out-of-date or overly broad responses will not be accepted.

We’ve prepared a full resource on the lobbying activity question. Check it out on our website!

Resource

Lobbying Activity Examples

Bad ❌

Environmental regulation laws

Good ✔️

Seeking amendments to Bill 987 “An Act to Ensure Environmental Management” to improve health outcomes for Ontarians with asthma.
 

Compliance & Investigations

Did you know that in 2017-2018, the Office of the Integrity Commissioner identified 283 instances of potential non-compliance with the Lobbyists Registration Act?

The Office also opened 23 investigations and concluded four investigations. 

Read our annual report for more information about our compliance work.

Annual Report
 
 

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