Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada
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Lobbyists Registration Act
Annual Report 2004–2005
For the year ended March 31, 2005
Annual Report, PDF format - 203 KB
Contents
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Message from the Registrar of Lobbyists
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Introduction
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Legislative Framework for the Lobbyists Registration Act
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The Registrar of Lobbyists and the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists
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Statistical Review
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Additional Information
June 30, 2005
The Honourable David L. Emerson, P.C., M.P.
Registrar General of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
Dear Minister Emerson:
I have the honour of presenting to you the sixteenth annual report of the Registrar of Lobbyists on the administration of the information disclosure and public registry provisions of the Lobbyists Registration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 44 (4th supp.), as amended by S.C. 1995, c. 12, and by An Act to Amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Ethics Commissioner and Senate Ethics Officer) and Other Acts in Consequence, S.C. 2004, c. 7, which came into force on May 17, 2004. This report is presented in accordance with the provisions of subsection 11(1) of the Act. The report covers the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Nelson
Registrar of Lobbyists
Message from the Registrar of Lobbyists
A new and independent Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists, responsible for both the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct, was established within Industry Canada during the summer of 2004. Within the Office, a small group assists the Registrar of Lobbyists in overseeing and providing guidance on lobbyist registration in the Government of Canada sphere.
In establishing the new office, we set three main objectives: setting up the new Office in an effective, accessible and user-friendly manner; ensuring that lobbying activities, as defined in the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists Registration Regulations, are registered; and carrying out the necessary reviews and investigations, when warranted. I am pleased to report that these objectives were met.
Our team has completed work to streamline the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists website, which is now more user-friendly. We view the web as our main tool for exchanging information with the public, and our objective is to make it as comprehensive and accessible as possible. The website system will be a one-stop information clearing house relating to the registration of lobbyists for lobbyists themselves, as well as for government officials, members of the media and the Canadian public. This will optimize both the process’s transparency and administrative efficiency.
Our website provides links to information on the Act, our roles, key contacts and the operations of the Lobbyists Registration System. I encourage all interested parties to make regular use of our site.
This has been an exciting and challenging period of transition. I look forward to serving Canadians in my capacity as Registrar of Lobbyists.
Michael Nelson
Registrar of Lobbyists
Introduction
This is the sixteenth annual report on the administration of the information disclosure and public registry provisions of the Lobbyists Registration Act. The Act was amended by Bill C-4, An Act to Amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Ethics Commissioner and Senate Ethics Officer) and Other Acts in Consequence, Statutes of Canada (S.C.) 2004, c. 7, in 2004. That Bill created the new positions of Ethics Commissioner and Senate Ethics Officer. Since this change occurred in May 2004, the function of the Registrar of Lobbyists is now separate from that of the Ethics Commissioner. The Registrar of Lobbyists now reports to Parliament directly through the Registrar General of Canada (currently, the Minister of Industry). The Ethics Commissioner reports directly to Parliament. As part of the changes, operational roles and responsibilities are now located within the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists of Industry Canada, under the leadership of a director.
This report covers the period from April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2005.
Legislative Framework for the Lobbyists Registration Act
Purpose and Description of the Lobbyists Registration Act
The Lobbyists Registration Act provides for the public registration of those individuals who are paid to communicate with public office holders in an attempt to influence government decisions (i.e. to lobby). Public office holders are defined in the Act as virtually all persons occupying an elected or appointed position in the Government of Canada, including members of the House of Commons and the Senate and their staff, as well as officers and employees of federal departments and agencies, members of the Canadian Forces and members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Four basic principles are set out in the preamble to the Act:
- Free and open access to government is an important matter of public interest.
- Lobbying public office holders is a legitimate activity.
- It is desirable that public office holders and the general public be able to know who is attempting to influence government.
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The system for the registration of paid lobbyists should not impede free and open access to government.
Lobbying, or the activity that is subject to the requirements for registration as a lobbyist, is defined as communicating with federal public office holders, whether formally or informally, in an attempt to influence:
- the making, developing or amending of federal legislative proposals, bills or resolutions, regulations, policies or programs; or
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the awarding of federal grants, contributions or other financial benefits.
The Act provides for three categories of lobbyists — consultant lobbyists, in-house lobbyists (corporations) and in-house lobbyists (organizations).
Consultant lobbyists are individuals who, for payment, lobby on behalf of a client. In addition to their need to register in the cases of the aforementioned activities, consultant lobbyists are also required to register if they undertake to arrange a meeting between their client and a public office holder, or if they lobby for the awarding of a federal contract. Consultant lobbyists may be government-relations consultants, lawyers, accountants or other professional advisors who provide lobbying services for their clients.
In-house lobbyists (corporations) are employees of corporations that carry on commercial activities for financial gain, and lobby as a significant part of their duties. These employees of a company are usually full-time officers who devote a significant part of their duties to public affairs or government-relations work.
In-house lobbyists (organizations) are employees of non-profit organizations, such as associations. The senior paid officer of such an organization must register the names of all employees engaged in lobbying activity if the total lobbying activity of all such employees equals 20 percent or more of the duties of one full-time employee.
All lobbyists are required to disclose certain information within time limits specified in the Act. This information includes the names of their clients or corporate or organizational employers; the names of the parent or subsidiary companies that would benefit from the lobbying activity; the organizational members of coalition groups; the specific subject matters lobbied; the names of the federal departments or agencies contacted; the sources and amounts of any government funding received; and the communication techniques used, such as grassroots lobbying. Corporations and organizations must also provide general descriptions of their business or activities.
Legislative Changes: Bringing the Amended Act into Force
Following extensive review by committees in both houses of Parliament, two bills were passed during 2003–04 to establish a new operating framework for the Lobbyists Registration System.
An Act to Amend the Lobbyists Registration Act (known prior to passage as Bill C-15), received Royal Assent on June 11, 2003, as S.C. 2003, c. 10. The Act amendment and associated changes to the Lobbyists Registration Regulations are expected to come into force in June 2005.
The revised Act clarifies the definition of lobbying by removing the expression “attempt to influence” from the Act as it currently reads. This means that all communications covered by the legislation constitute lobbying and, therefore, require registration. Registration is not required under the Act for simple enquiries or administrative requests for information. The revised Act removes the exemption from the requirement to register when a public office holder initiates contact with any individual who could be lobbying the public office holder, or with that individual’s organization.
An Act to Amend the Lobbyists Registration Act contains stronger enforcement provisions that require notification of the appropriate police authorities if the Registrar of Lobbyists, while conducting an investigation into an alleged breach of the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct, has reasonable grounds to believe that a criminal offence has been committed.
The new legislation strengthens and simplifies the registration requirements set out in the Lobbyists Registration Act. It does so by requiring all lobbyists to update or renew their filings every six months, and by implementing a single filing approach for the registration of corporations and non-profit organizations. This single filing system is intended to provide consistent treatment for all types of lobbyists, as established under the Act, and to ensure that responsibility for the actions of lobbyists dealing with public office holders rests at the highest corporate levels.
The revised Act also clarifies minor discrepancies that previously existed between the French and English versions of the legislation.
In January 2004, the Government of Canada tabled Bill C-4 (An Act to Amend the Parliament of Canada Act [Ethics Commissioner and Senate Ethics Officer] and Other Acts in Consequence) in the House of Commons. The House of Commons and the Senate of Canada passed the legislation as S.C. 2004, c. 7 and Royal Assent was granted on March 31, 2004. The Act came into force on May 17, 2004.
The new legislation changed the reporting structure under the Lobbyists Registration Act. As of May 17, 2004, the position of the former Ethics Counsellor ceased to exist. For the purposes of the Act, the Registrar of Lobbyists now reports to Parliament directly through the Registrar General of Canada (currently, the Minister of Industry). Complaints and requests for advice regarding the Lobbyists Registration Act are now the direct responsibility of the Registrar of Lobbyists.
Important Changes to the Lobbyists Registration Process
In summary, these are the major changes that will come into force as a result of the passage of Bill C-15:
- There is a clearer definition of lobbying than was formerly provided.
- There is clarification that a person making simple enquiries or requests for information does not have to register as a lobbyist.
- There is no longer an exemption from registration if a public office holder initiates contact with a lobbyist.
- All lobbyists are required to update or renew their filings every six months.
- Former public office holders now engaged in lobbying are obligated to provide information on their former positions.
- The filing approach is now the same for lobbyists who work for corporations and who work for non-profit organizations.
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Stronger enforcement provisions have been introduced that will require police to be notified if the Registrar of Lobbyists, while conducting an investigation, has reasonable grounds to believe that a criminal offence has been committed.
New Regulations
The Lobbyists Registration Act authorizes the Governor in Council to make regulations respecting the form and manner of returns to be filed by lobbyists. The Lobbyists Registration Regulations set out the detailed forms that lobbyists must complete and file. Lobbyists are encouraged to complete and file these registration forms electronically, free of charge. The fee schedule for processing forms submitted in paper format was published in Part I of the Canada Gazette on December 16, 1995.
Following Royal Assent for An Act to Amend the Lobbyists Registration Act on June 11, 2003, it became necessary to revisit and amend the Lobbyists Registration Regulations to ensure that appropriate administrative measures for compliance with the Act would be in place to facilitate the implementation of the amended legislation.
The proposed Regulations were approved by the Treasury Board of Canada for prepublication in Part I of the Canada Gazette to provide interested individuals and organizations with an opportunity to comment on the Regulations during a 60-day period following the date of prepublication.
The proposed Regulations were prepublished December 18, 2004. Comments were received, in writing or in the course of individual meetings, from 14 individuals and organizations during the 60-day comment period, which ended February 16, 2005. An additional 30 phone enquiries were also received. The comments focussed primarily on four areas: the definition of the expression “to communicate,” the frequency of registrations, the new registration requirements for corporate lobbyists and the disclosure of past employment as a public office holder.
Boundaries Between the Duties of the Registrar of Lobbyists and Those of the Ethics Commissioner
Subsequent to the legislative amendments brought to the Lobbyists Registration Act by An Act to Amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Ethics Commissioner and Senate Ethics Officer) and Other Acts in Consequence, S.C. 2004, c. 7, the Registrar of Lobbyists is responsible for the application of the Lobbyists Registration Act, as well as for the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct.
Since these changes came into force on May 17, 2004, the Registrar of Lobbyists has assumed certain roles of the former Ethics Counsellor, including responsibility for overseeing compliance with the registration provisions of the Lobbyists Registration Act and with the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct.
An Act to Amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Ethics Commissioner and Senate Ethics Officer) and Other Acts in Consequence also established the position of Ethics Commissioner, whose functions are separate from those of the Registrar of Lobbyists. The Ethics Commissioner is appointed under Section 72.01 of the Parliament of Canada Act and administers the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons and the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders.
The Registrar of Lobbyists and the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists
Responsibility for the administration of the information disclosure provisions of the Lobbyists Registration Act and the maintenance of the public registry is assigned to the Registrar of Lobbyists, who is designated by the Registrar General of Canada (currently, the Minister of Industry). Officials of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists assist the Office’s Registrar in carrying out these responsibilities.
Under the Act, lobbyists must, in response to a request from the Registrar of Lobbyists, provide clarification of any information they have submitted in their registration forms. The Registrar also has the authority to seek verification of this information. All forms submitted for registration are checked for completeness and clarity. Inconsistencies or obvious omissions are pointed out to the lobbyist for correction or provision of supplementary information.
The Lobbyists Registration Act authorizes the Registrar of Lobbyists to issue advisory opinions and interpretation bulletins in order to provide greater clarity regarding registration provisions.
A Year of Transition and Accomplishment
During the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005, the Registrar of Lobbyists and the Director of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists pursued three key goals related to the objectives in establishing the new office. The first was ensuring an efficient reorganization of the Lobbyists Registration System in moving to new offices within Industry Canada, and ensuring that the registration process would not be interrupted during the transition. The second goal was supporting the legislative and regulatory amendment processes through briefings, interpretation and personal appearances, wherever required, as well as ensuring prepublication of the Lobbyists Registration Regulations. A third and related goal was enhancing data processing, communications and accessibility by updating and improving Internet links to the Lobbyists Registration System.
Major progress has been achieved on all fronts. The newly appointed Director of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists oversaw a smooth transition of the Office’s functions to Industry Canada’s headquarters at 255 Albert Street in Ottawa. The move required ensuring the efficient transfer of all documentation with minimal disruption to clients. Setting up the new office required the preparation of job descriptions, followed by staffing and the development of an appropriate budget — all of which was accomplished effectively.
In preparation for implementation of the amendments to the Lobbyists Registration Act, the Office developed and pretested a new online Lobbyists Registration System, and received positive feedback from participating lobbyists. These updates, along with other changes to the registration system, will be implemented once the new Act comes into force. Other improvements have already been introduced to improve the userfriendliness of the registration system.
The Registrar of Lobbyists and the Director of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists continued an active public information campaign to discuss and provide advice to lobbyists and potential lobbyists about the requirements for registration, and to encourage firms, companies and associations to review their situations. The Office was active in disseminating information on the Lobbyists Registration Act and proposed Lobbyists Registration Regulations. Activities included the mailing out of more than 1500 information packages, conducting interviews with the media, and holding discussions with professional and industry associations, universities and government officials. Prepublication of the proposed amendments to the Lobbyists Registration Regulations took place in December 2004.
The Director of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists attended the December 2004 annual conference of the international Council on Governmental Ethics Law and provided an update on the latest developments at the federal government level in Canada. As well, discussions continued with provincial and international officials with similar responsibilities.
Client Service Standards
One of the early accomplishments of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists following its move to Industry Canada’s headquarters was the development of client service standards. The Office is committed to meeting a high standard of excellence in serving a client base composed of Canada’s lobbyists, the general public and other interested parties. The primary service of the Office is providing advice and comprehensive information related to the lobbyist registration process and its requirements. This service includes providing advice on application of the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct, explaining their requirements, providing interpretation bulletins and addressing other related issues of concern for clients. Office officials are accessible between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), Monday to Friday, except on designated holidays.
Bilingualism, responsiveness and confidentiality
The Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists offers full and courteous service in both of Canada’s official languages. Clarification is available for any information provided on the Office’s website or in print. If Office clients or website users are not satisfied with any aspect of the Office’s services, they are urged to express those concerns to Office officials, who will do whatever possible to improve their service to the public. Any information disclosed that is considered confidential will be treated accordingly. It is important to be aware that certain information disclosed under prescribed conditions may be subject to the Access to Information Act or to an investigation under the Lobbyists Registration Act.
Reliable access to the website, and free online registration and email
The Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists website is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The website provides a reliable, clear and consistent user interface for promoting online lobbyists’ registrations and providing lobbyist information, related reports and recent announcements. Online registrations are free of charge and currently account for more than 99 percent of all registrations. Clients who prefer to register in writing are charged a total of up to $150 per year. If clients believe that the website’s registration application fails to meet their needs, they are encouraged to contact the Office for help at the following email address:
QuestionsLobbying@orl-bdl.gc.ca
Timeliness, registration and alternative accessibility
The Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists will acknowledge telephone calls, emails, faxes or letters, and will respond to general enquiries within two business days from their receipt. When a more complex issue or question is raised, there will be a prompt reply with an estimate of when the client can expect a response. After filing a registration, clients should allow up to three business days for validation and acceptance of the registration on the system. A letter will be issued from the Office within one business day from the registration’s acceptance.
Public Registry
Openness is one of the fundamental principles behind the registration system for the Lobbyists Registration Act. All registry information collected under the Act and its Lobbyists Registration Regulations is a matter of public record. The objective of the registry is to ensure that the general public and public office holders know who is being paid to try to influence Government of Canada decisions.
The registry database is available to all Canadians via the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists website. Anyone can use a personal computer to search and retrieve information on who lobbies for which firms, corporations, organizations or associations; the parent and subsidiary companies or corporations that benefit from the lobbying; the organizational members of coalition groups; a general description of the activities of corporations and associations; which Government of Canada departments or agencies are being contacted; and the names or descriptions of the specific legislative proposals, bills, regulations, policies, programs, grants, contributions or contracts sought.
Users can produce their own summary reports of registered lobbyists, as well as copies of individual registration forms. It is also possible to access a list of recent registrations that includes all new registrations, amendments and terminations processed within the past 30 days.
Users who search and retrieve the data directly from their own computers may do so free of charge. If members of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists staff are asked to search and retrieve information, a service charge may be applicable.
Electronic Filing
Lobbyists are encouraged to file their registration forms electronically, free of charge, via the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists website. This user-friendly interactive technology validates basic data, such as names and addresses; reminds lobbyists to complete all required information; and permits lobbyists to easily edit their own forms. Data, once verified, are moved immediately to the registry database, where the general public can search for information and produce reports from their own computers.
Of the total registrations received as of March 31, 2005, 99.7 percent of consultant lobbyists actively lobbying registered electronically, which is the same percentage as in the previous year. This year, 99.9 percent of in-house lobbyists (organizations) filed their registrations electronically, while 100 percent of in-house lobbyists (corporations) filed their registrations electronically (up from 98 percent in the previous year).
Before lobbyists can use the computer system to file the registration forms required by the Lobbyists Registration Act, they must provide identification for system access. They must then also sign a contractual agreement acknowledging their responsibility for the security of their electronic signature or password used to certify the validity of the information they submit.
To speed up the renewal process, the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists issues renewal notices via email. The implementation of this practice has resulted in faster response rates, with registrants completing their renewals within shorter time frames, thereby eliminating time lags and substantially decreasing the need for follow-up calls.
A total of 723 renewal notices were issued in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005. This total comprised 532 notices to in-house lobbyists (organizations) and 191 to in-house lobbyists (corporations).
During the period, it was an Office priority to ensure that registrations were current. It had become apparent that the registry contained a significant number of registrations that were not renewed within the legislated time frames. Consequently, 171 termination letters were sent out in February/March 2005 to in-house organization lobbyists, and 88 termination letters were sent out in March 2005 to in-house corporate lobbyists. The Office contacted a number of individuals who had not re-registered, to determine whether they were still performing lobbying activities. Some of those individuals indicated that they were no longer involved in the activity for which they registered, had left the position or were re-evaluating the need to maintain registration (e.g. whether, as in the case for in-house lobbyists, they met the 20-percent criterion). Others reacted and re-entered their names in the registry. At the end of March, 113 in-house organizational lobbyists had re-registered, and 21 in-house corporate lobbyists had re-registered.
Contravention of the Lobbyists Registration Act
If the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists has reason to believe there could have been a contravention of the Lobbyists Registration Act, it will conduct an administrative review. Once a review is completed, if the facts indicate that there could have been a contravention of the Act, the Registrar of Lobbyists will be informed of the conclusions of the administrative review. The Registrar will then decide whether the administrative review indicates a possible contravention of the Act, and if it warrants referring the matter to the RCMP.
| Complaint or indications → | Administrative review by the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists → | If facts are positive, conclusions sent to the Registrar of Lobbyists → | If grounds are sufficient, the Registrar of Lobbyists refers the file to the RCMP |
A conviction for a contravention of the Act relating to registration requirements carries a fine of up to $100 000 or a jail term of up to two years upon conviction. The Act stipulates a two-year limitation period for contraventions of the registration requirements, after which no charges can be laid.
If an administrative review shows reasonable grounds for believing there has been a breach of the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct, the Registrar of Lobbyists will investigate the apparent breach of the Code.
Enquiries/Complaints
During the reporting period, the Office initiated two administrative reviews. One was related to a complaint that resulted in a review being submitted to the Registrar of Lobbyists. As of the end of March 2005, information was still being collected on this file. The other administrative review was not presented to the Registrar, because the activity occurred outside the time limits set out in the Lobbyists Registration Act. In addition, ad hoc verifications were conducted during the reporting period in response to media articles.
Statistical Review
Advisory and Information Services
The Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists provides advice on registration requirements, reminds lobbyists to update and re-file their registration forms, and verifies that all forms are consistent and complete. During the past year, 1638 registrations were processed, of which 939 were consultant-lobbyist registrations, 219 were in-house lobbyist (corporations) registrations and 480 were in-house lobbyist (organizations) registrations.
The number of calls for technology assistance increased from the previous year. Office staff and Industry Canada’s Strategis helpdesk personnel responded to calls concerning the lobbyists registry site’s address, navigational assistance, forgotten passwords, broken links and other technical problems. There were 1280 helpline calls in 2004–2005, compared to 918 calls in the previous year (i.e. a 39-percent increase from 2003–2004). Some of this increase can be associated with technical problems involved in transferring the office and issues relating to termination and re-registration.
The key principle of the Lobbyists Registration Act — transparency — holds that public office holders and the public should be able to know who is attempting to influence government. The Lobbyists Registry is directly accessible through Strategis for searches and information retrieval. Users are gaining their own expertise in how to directly access and search the computerized registry system.
There was an increase in 2004–2005 in the number of visits to Strategis, as well as in the number of pages accessed. In the previous year, there were 39 102 visits and 228 251 pages accessed. In 2004–2005, there were 41 944 visits to the “Lobbyists” section of Strategis, during which some 313 412 pages were accessed.
Subject Matter of Lobbying Activities (Areas of Concern)
All lobbyists are required to identify, from a pre-selected checklist, the broad subject matter of their lobbying activities. The following list identifies, in descending order and from active registrations, the 20 subject areas most frequently identified by lobbyists in their registrations, as of March 31, 2005.
| 2003–2004 | 2004–2005 | |
| Industry | 1 | 1 |
| International trade | 2 | 2 |
| Taxation and finance | 3 | 3 |
| Environment | 4 | 4 |
| Science and technology | 5 | 5 |
| Health | 6 | 6 |
| Transportation | 7 | 7 |
| Employment and training | 8 | 8 |
| Regional development | 14 | 9 |
| Consumer issues | 9 | 10 |
| Energy | 10 | 11 |
| Internal trade | 11 | 11 |
| International relations | 12 | 12 |
| Infrastructure | 16 | 12 |
| Government procurement | 13 | 13 |
| Intellectual property | 15 | 14 |
| Labour | 18 | 15 |
| Small business | 20 | 16 |
| Agriculture | 17 | 17 |
| Education | – | 18 |
| Aboriginal affairs | 19 | 19 |
| Justice and law enforcement | – | 20 |
Government Departments and Agencies
All lobbyists are required to identify the names of the Government of Canada departments and agencies that they contact or expect to contact in the course of their lobbying activities. The following list identifies, in descending order and from active registrations, the 20 departments and agencies most frequently identified by lobbyists in their registrations, as of March 31, 2005.
| 2003–2004 | 2004–2005 | |
| Industry Canada | 1 | 1 |
| Department of Finance Canada | 2 | 2 |
| Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada (formerly Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade) | 3 | 3 |
| Environment Canada | 4 | 4 |
| Privy Council Office | 5 | 5 |
| Health Canada | 6 | 6 |
| Canada Revenue Agency | 7 | 7 |
| Human Resources and Skills Development Canada | 8 | 8 |
| Transport Canada | 9 | 9 |
| Natural Resources Canada | 10 | 10 |
| Public Works and Government Services Canada | 11 | 11 |
| Treasury Board of Canada | 12 | 12 |
| Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada | 13 | 13 |
| Canadian Heritage | 14 | 14 |
| Department of Justice Canada* | 15 | 15 |
| Indian and Northern Affairs Canada | 16 | 16 |
| National Defence* | 15 | 17 |
| Fisheries and Oceans Canada | 17 | 18 |
| Western Economic Diversification Canada | 18 | 19 |
| National Research Council Canada | 19 | 20 |
| Statistics Canada | 20 | – |
* These two government departments were identified with the same frequency by lobbyists in their registrations for the 2003–2004 reporting period.
Registrations
On March 31, 2005, there were 1065 registered active consultant lobbyists, an increase of 8.7 percent from the 980 consultants registered the previous year. These consultants, who work for 675 firms across Canada, include government-relations consultants, lawyers, accountants and other professionals who provide lobbying services for their clients.
As of March 3l, 2005, the Lobbyists Registration System indicated that a total of 191 in-house lobbyists (corporations) were registered, representing the interests of 116 different corporations.
The number of in-house lobbyists (organizations) registered by the senior paid officers of non-profit organizations and interest groups, as well as business, trade and industry, and professional organizations or associations, was down from the previous year.
| 2003–2004 | 2004–2005* | ||
| Lobbyists active as of March 31 | |||
| Consultant lobbyists | 980 | 1065 | |
| In-house lobbyists (corporations) | 294 | 191 | |
| Organizations (senior officers) | 324 | 266 | |
| Registrations active as of March 31 | |||
| Consultant lobbyists | 3287 | 3417 | |
| In-house lobbyists (corporations) | 298 | 192 | |
| In-house lobbyists (organizations) | 330 | 271 | |
* It is important to note that the apparent decline in registration for in-house lobbyists (corporations and organizations) is related primarily to the termination actions of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists in February and March 2005.
Additional Information
For the legal text of the Act and Regulations, consult the following:
- Lobbyists Registration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 44 (4th supp.);
- Lobbyists Registration Regulations, Canada Gazette, Part II, December 27, 1995;
- Lobbyists Registration Regulations, Canada Gazette, Part I, December 18, 2004;
- Lobbyists Registration and Service Fees, Canada Gazette, Part I, December 16, 1995;
- An Act to Amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Ethics Commissioner and Senate Ethics Officer) and Other Acts in Consequence, S.C. 2004, c. 7; and
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An Act to Amend the Lobbyists Registration Act, S.C. 2003, c. 10.
Additional publications available on the Internet include the Registration Guide, which covers the basic requirements of the Lobbyists Registration Act and contains a summary quick reference guide to registration, as well as advisory opinions and interpretation bulletins.
Lobbyists registry data are accessible free of charge on the Internet for viewing, searching, and producing summary reports.
The Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists website contains additional links to related information.
For further information, please contact:
Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists
Industry Canada
255 Albert Street
10th Floor
Ottawa ON K1P 5G8
Tel.: (613) 957-2760
Fax: (613) 957-3078
Email: QuestionsLobbying@orl-bdl.gc.ca
