Here’s a rundown of the news we covered this week:

In Ask the Lobby Monitor, we addressed the question of whether it would be a good idea for charitable organizations to register on the federal lobbyists’ registry if they are not sure if they meet the threshold in the 20 per cent rule. Bernadette Johnson, the director of engagement and mobilization for Imagine Canada, recommends erring on the side of caution and registering if the charity is communicating with the federal government. The Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying said that the 20 per cent threshold can be difficult to estimate, and therefore it may be prudent for any organization or corporation close to meeting the 20 per cent threshold to register in the Registry of lobbyists.

The federal ethics office is showing a decrease in the number of requests for advice from MPs and designated public office holders (POHs) during the pandemic, according to the office’s quarterly statistics report released on July 31. The office received 411 requests for advice between April and June, which is almost 200 fewer requests than the previous reporting period between January and March, and almost 300 fewer than the same reporting period in 2019. Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion said this decrease is to be expected as many MPs and POHs have been focused on the needs of Canadians during the pandemic.

The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Corp. (CICC), an organization developed to regulate immigration and citizenship consultants, posted communication reports last week featuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada’s lobbying and ethics commissioners. The CICC is registered with its president, Nuha Nancy Salloum. The five communication reports it posted listed contact with Trudeau and Minister of Immigration Marco Mendicino on July 27 and July 31. The reports also show contact with Dion on three occasions in July, and contact with Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger twice that month.

In new registrations, the Institute for Advancements in Mental Health (IAM) started a file on June 25 with its CEO, Mary Alberti, which was posted on Aug. 6. The group is interested in discussing federal government policies and programs to support mental health recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the registry. IAM announced on July 30 it has partnered with five other organizations to pool resources so as to expand the mental health services in Ontario during the pandemic. Alberti will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Health, Immigration, Employment and Social Development Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, as well as MPs and senators.

The Québec Association of Pharmacy Distributors started its first file on Aug. 4 with consultant Hugues Mousseau of Heyco Advisory Services. The association is interested in discussing amendments to the Patented Medicines regulations, with intent to protect non-patentees (including pharmacy wholesalers and pharmacies) from incurring financial losses as a result of changes to price guidelines. Mousseau will communicate with Health.

IVECO Defence Vehicles, headquartered in Italy, started its first file on Aug. 1 with consultant Tony Goode of CFN Consultants. The defence vehicle manufacturer is reaching out to the federal government to discuss a project to replace the existing fleet of Canadian Armed Forces heavy tow trucks and associated equipment with more modern technology, the registry shows. Goode will communicate with National Defence, Innovation, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
 

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Aug. 7 at 9:00 a.m.

New registrations

Reactivations