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

The return of Parliament has brought with it a trickle of in-person lobby days. The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) held its annual “Hill Day” on Nov. 30, with other organizations planning similar in-person events. “Being able to meet face to face and have those personal connections and a more natural flow of dialogue was really important,” CCA president Mary Van Buren told The Lobby Monitor.

Switching quickly from the Hill to Queen’s Park, government relations industry representatives say an upcoming provincial election and the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic will leave little time for a thorough review of Ontario’s lobbying legislation. The mandated review of the province’s Lobbyists Registration Act was referred to an Ontario legislative committee on June 1, but the next steps for a review have not yet been determined.  “There’s a lot of different moving parts on the [Ontario integrity] commissioner’s side of things, and then you have the government trying to sort itself out with COVID, and all the pressing issues of a spring budget,” said Alex Greco, president of the Public Affairs Association of Canada’s (PAAC) Ontario chapter.

Back in Ottawa, Carlene Variyan has joined Summa Strategies as an associate vice-president. Variyan was previously a staffer to multiple federal Liberal cabinet ministers, including Jim Carr during his time as special representative for the Prairies, Seamus O’Regan (who was then natural resources minister), communications director to Ralph Goodale (then public safety minister), Patty Hadju (then employment minister), and former finance minister Bill Morneau. In other industry moves, Brianna Workman has departed Impact Public Affairs to take up a senior policy adviser role Colleges and Institutes Canada; and David Morley, formerly of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, is now vice-president of national strategy and public relations at the construction company Pomerleau.

The Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (EPAC) submitted eight of the 70 communication reports posted last week. Represented on the registry in-house by president Tristan Goodman, the association is made up of more than 139 oil and gas companies. On Nov. 17, EPAC communicated with Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, and his policy director for clean energy and innovation, Fiona Simons. EPAC also communicated with Jean-François Tremblay, deputy minister at Natural Resources Canada, on Nov. 25; Nada Vrany, a director general at Natural Resources, on Nov. 17 and Nov. 19; and Amin Asadollahi, a Natural Resources senior policy adviser, four times between Nov. 8 and Nov. 23.

In new registrations, BIOQuébec started its first files on Nov. 22 with Johanne Chambers and William Dempster of 3Sixty Public Affairs. The group represents approximately 115 companies and organizations operating in Quebec’s life sciences sector. According to its file, BIOQuébec is interested in discussing Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan; engaging with federal officials about Health Canada’s plans for a national strategy for rare diseases, national pharmacare, and the Canada Drug Agency; and speaking about the regulatory and reporting functions of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board. Chambers and Dempster plan to communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Privy Council Office, Health Canada, and the Treasury Board, as well as with MPs and senators.

Also interested in discussing biotechnology matters is Accelera Canada Ltd., which started its first file with Stephen Sampson of Global Public Affairs on Nov. 24. Accelera is a commercialization service provider for companies operating in Canada’s pharmaceutical market. According to its file, Accelera is interested in discussing federal procurement of therapeutic products related to pandemic management, as well as the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board’s regulations regarding reporting obligations and pricing. Sampson plans to communicate with the PMO, Privy Council Office, Health, Innovation, Public Services and Procurement, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as with MPs and senators.

Strengthening its representation on the Hill is NunatuKavut Community Council, which added consultant Mitchell Pratt of Impact Public Affairs on Nov. 24. Pratt joins colleague Christian von Donat, who has represented the council on the registry since May 17. NunatuKavut Community Council is a governing body representing approximately 6,000 Inuit of south and central Labrador. According to its registry file, the council is interested in “supporting government to government dialogue” and “working across departments towards reconciliation efforts and program support.” Pratt plans to communicate with the PMO, Finance, Crown-Indigenous Relations, Indigenous Services, and Fisheries, as well as with MPs and senators.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Dec. 3 at 9:04 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations