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

A statutory review of Alberta’s lobbying laws and similar reviews due in Ontario and federally offer the chance for more consistent lobbying rules across the country, industry associations say. A mandatory five-year review of Alberta’s Lobbyists Act is underway in the province, with the committee performing the review asking for a report comparing lobbying legislation in other Canadian jurisdictions, the U.S. and the U.K. “We would go a long way benefiting from having a strong level of harmonization across the regions,” said Jason Kerr, president of the Government Relations Institute of Canada (GRIC).

The federal government’s 2030 emissions reduction targets should be achieved through mandated cuts to fertilizer rates, some agricultural associations say. The federal government’s climate plan proposes a 30-per-cent cut in fertilizer-related emissions by 2030, but some industry groups have asked for more consultation and detail about how the reduction will be implemented. “There's a series of concerns that we have, all related to the fact that there was no consultation when those targets were set,” said Karen Proud, president and CEO of Fertilizer Canada. “There's very little detail about what the government expects.”

As Sussex Strategy Group looks to grow, managing partners Chris Benedetti and Jamie Besner are searching for professionals who value humility as much as resourcefulness and communication. “The bigger you grow, the more you have to work hard at engendering that sense of team. It's very easy to lose perspective of the customer service nature of the business that we're in,” said Benedetti. New additions to the firm include Eric Johnson, who joined the company as vice-president of federal government relations on Nov. 3; Sadaf Abbasi, director of Ontario government relations; Patrick Gajos, director of the energy and environmental practice, and general counsel; Amanda DeYoung, Ontario government relations associate; and Sophie Rusen, junior research analyst.

Support Ontario Youth posted 10 of the 76 communication reports filed last week. Represented on the registry by consultant Craig Brockwell of Solstice Public Affairs, the Etobicoke, Ont.-based organization focuses on filling gaps in skilled trades, as well as connecting would-be apprentices to employers. Brockwell communicated with Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull on Oct. 28, and Shawna Dittburner, Turnbull’s executive assistant, five times between Oct. 22 and Nov. 2. The remainder of the communications were with Luka Vujic, the parliamentary aide to Liberal MP Vance Badawey.

In new registrations, Placements Saint-Jérôme inc. started its first registry files on Nov. 1, with consultants Charles Brière-Garneau, Émile Gauthier, Mathieu Santerre, and Martin Pichette of L’Orange bleue affaires publiques. Robby Desjardins, also of L’Orange bleue, was also registered on Nov. 9. The company owns Taxelco, which in turn owns the Montreal-area Diamond Taxi, Taxi Hochelaga, and Téo Taxi companies. According to its files, Placements Saint-Jérôme is interested in discussing incentives for the electrification of Canada’s paid transportation industry. The consultants will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Finance, Transport, Environment, and the Treasury Board.

In financial services communications, online payment processor Stripe started its first set of files on Nov. 1, with Robin MacLachlan and Lindsay Stevens of Summa Strategies. The pair’s colleague, Alon Faitelis, also joined on Nov. 4. Stripe is a digital payments and credit card processor for companies such as Shopify, Salesforce, and Lyft. According to its file, the company is interested in discussing the opening of its Canadian office, as well as federal policies and regulations related to the financial sector. MacLachlan, Stevens and Faitelis plan to communicate with the PMO, Privy Council Office, Finance, Innovation, and the Treasury Board, as well as with MPs and senators.

Returning to the registry recently is Flying Colours Corp., represented by consultant Jay Amer of Amer & Associates. Amer previously represented the aviation services company, which has a Canadian division headquartered in Peterborough, Ont., on the registry, but that file closed on April 15, 2019. According to its registry file, Flying Colours is interested in seeking funding through Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s Strategic Innovation Fund and Business Growth and Productivity Fund. In addition to Innovation, Amer plans to communicate with MPs.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Nov. 12 at 9:20 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations