In this issue...

It is a pleasure to mark the 5th anniversary of ON Lobbying. When staff proposed a bi-monthly newsletter for lobbyists, I admit I had some concerns about devoting the Office’s limited resources to ensuring a quality product in the long term. But while the topic of lobbying regulation in Ontario is certainly a niche one, we have nonetheless managed to put out 31 issues and bring our readership to more than 800 subscribers.

We released our first issue in October 2018 and since then, past issues of ON Lobbying have provided helpful explanations about aspects of the Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998 and ways for lobbyists to ensure they are meeting their obligations. It has even helped lobbyists learn about the team that assists them in navigating Ontario’s registry.

As I noted in my message on the first anniversary of this newsletter, it is a lobbyist’s responsibility to familiarize themselves with the requirements of the Act and provide accurate and up-to-date information about their lobbying activities in their registrations. I have long believed that this Office has a role in assisting lobbyists in meeting their obligations and I’m pleased that this newsletter has become a part of this assistance.

Moving forward, we welcome your feedback on the newsletter and the resources available on our website. I also invite you to share the newsletter with colleagues who may benefit from it.

J. David Wake, K.C., Integrity Commissioner & Lobbyist Registrar

From September 26 to 28, Commissioner Wake and Office staff attended the annual conference of the Lobbyist Registrars and Commissioners Network in Victoria, B.C. This year’s conference was hosted by The Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists for British Columbia (ORL BC). 

Registrars and Commissioners from the federal office, eight provinces, and two municipalities attended the multi-day conference. Delegates shared recent updates and developments on lobbying issues from their respective jurisdictions.

Attendees also engaged in three roundtable discussions, covering the following topics:

  • The successes and challenges of regulating lobbyist gift-giving and best practices for safeguarding the integrity of public institutions.
  • The role of education and the various methods to educate lobbyists, public office holders, and the general public about lobbying rules and the transparency afforded by lobbyist registries.
  • The pros and cons of legislated thresholds that lobbyists must meet before triggering a requirement to register lobbying activity.

Commissioner Wake and Office staff were pleased to participate in the event and thank ORL BC Registrar Michael McEvoy for chairing an informative and productive conference.

The annual conference provides an opportunity for jurisdictions to share best practices and discuss emerging issues for lobbyist registration requirements.

Are you managing the lobbyist registration process for yourself or other consultant lobbyists in your firm? If so, join us for an online training session on November 21, 2023, tailored specifically for primary contacts for consultant lobbyist (CL) registrations in Ontario.

This session will cover setting up accounts, filing new registrations, copying an existing registration, and more! Attendees will also learn helpful tips on how to navigate the Ontario Lobbyists Registry and receive information about the resources available to assist them in their role as primary contacts for CL registrations.

We will be sending email invitations to existing CL primary contacts soon. If you would like more information, please send an email to lobbyist.mail@oico.on.ca.