Here’s a look back at the news we covered this week:

Enterprise Canada expanded its health practice with Nathan Clark, who joined the firm on March 3 as a senior consultant. Clark previously served as chief of staff to former Manitoba Health minister Cameron Friesen (the province’s current Justice minister), and as an executive assistant to former Manitoba Health minister Kelvin Goertzen (the current deputy premier). Clark also worked for the B.C. Liberals as an executive assistant to Michelle Stilwell, the province’s former minister of Social Development. He anticipates that the provinces will ramp up discussions with the federal government about health care funding as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

A new coalition of 10 national farming organizations across Canada launched earlier this month. The umbrella group is interested in speaking with the federal government about the impacts of carbon pricing on the agricultural sector. The Agriculture Carbon Alliance is co-chaired by Dave Carey, the vice-president of government and industry relations for the Canadian Canola Growers Association, and Scott Ross, the assistant executive director of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Carey argues that farmers are disproportionately impacted by carbon pricing because “farmers don’t have a choice” in using carbon-based products in their operations. The alliance is not registered on the federal lobbyists’ registry, but Carey did not rule out that it might register at a later date.

WE Charity co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger will testify before the House ethics committee, according to Guy Giorno, a partner at law firm Fasken who has been retained by the charity as an adviser. Giorno made the comment in an interview on March 8 during CBC News Network's Power & Politics program. The committee appearance was initially expected to take place on March 12, but has been pushed back as the committee considers conditions requested by the Kielburgers before testifying. William McDowell, the Kielburgers’ lawyer, has requested he be present during the committee appearance in order to protect his clients’ rights, according to his letter to the ethics committee clerk on March 8.

The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) submitted 57 communication reports last week, of which 46 related to a virtual advocacy event between Feb. 22 and Feb. 26. The organization spoke to government officials about the federal budget, and requested a federal investment of $21.1 billion over the next decade into the Canada Health Transfer to support Canada’s aging population. The virtual advocacy week included communications with Minister of Labour Filomena Tassi and Minister of Seniors Deborah Schulte Feb. 23.

In new registrations, Alberta biotech company Resverlogix Corporation started its first file on the federal lobbyists’ registry on March 8 with independent consultant Bilal Cheema. The company is interested in possible federal funding to support production of a COVID-19 drug, the registry shows. Resverlogix announced the publication of an article on March 3 detailing evidence that the drug apabetalone may help protect a person’s organs by inhibiting the reproduction of COVID-19. The Canadian company has been collaborating with QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia on the drug discovery. Cheema will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Innovation, Health, Finance, and MPs.

The Canadian Biogas Association (CBA) started its first file on March 8 with its executive director Jennifer Green. The association would like to meet with Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau to discuss programs that can support the adoption of agricultural biogas, which is renewable methane gas used in energy applications. The CBA argues on its website that biogas would be useful in helping Canada achieve its carbon emission reduction targets. Green will communicate with Environment, Finance, Infrastructure and Natural Resources.

Audio streaming media service provider Spotify Canada increased its representation on March 8 by adding consultant Semhar Tekeste of Enterprise Canada. Tekeste joins consultant Jesse Shea of Ensight Canada on the file. The organization is interested in discussing Bill C-10, an act to amend the Broadcasting Act, which seeks to subject streaming services such as Netflix and Crave to the same rules as traditional broadcasters. Tekeste will communicate with the PMO, Finance, Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and MPs.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on March 12 at 9:30 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations