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

A group of environmental and citizen advocacy organizations have signed their names to an open letter organized by Democracy Watch calling for the scrapping of a rule on political activity included in the proposed revision to the lobbyists’ code of conduct. The campaign centres on the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying’s proposal to update a code of conduct rule to define a cooling-off period of one to two years for lobbyists who have engaged in “political work” on behalf of a federal official. According to the letter, signed by 14 organizations and two individuals, those cooling-off periods are too short.

The Lobby Monitor has created a policy map for Bill C-13, the government’s attempt to modernize the Official Languages Act. The map includes the details of the bill, its history, and which advocates have spoken on the issue.

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) filed eight of the 172 communication reports submitted to the registry last week. DFC is represented on the registry by CEO Jacques Lefebvre, seven board members, and Compass Rose principal Jacquie LaRocque. The organization communicated with Jérémy Gauthier, chief of staff to Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, on May 25; Emerson Vanderberg, Bibeau’s policy director, on May 27; Jean-Sébastien Bock, policy director to Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, on May 10, May 16, and May 27; and Laurence Harvey, senior policy adviser to International Trade Minister Mary Ng, on May 5 and May 12.

In new registrations, Viridis Terra has hired TACT consultant Stéfanie Tougas, who registered on June 20, to represent it in discussions with Innovation, Science and Economic Development. The company runs ecological restoration at former mining sites, reforestation, and international development projects in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Haiti, Peru, and Burkina Faso. According to its French-language registry file, Viridis is seeking funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada for the use of biotechnologies to combat deforestation and restore degraded lands in Canada and around the world.

Also new to the registry is Intertape Polymer Group, which started its first file on June 16 with consultants Daniel Brock and Dana Gregoire of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. Intertape, which is headquartered in Montreal, Que., and Sarasota, Fla., develops, manufactures, and sells tapes, stretch and shrink film, protective packaging, and packaging machinery. According to its registry file, Intertape is interested in discussing approvals relating to the company’s acquisition by investment firm Clearlake Capital Group. Brock and Gregoire plan to communicate with Innovation.

Returning to the registry is Hypertec Group. The Montreal, Que.-based IT solutions company added president Robert Ahdoot to the file on June 13. Hypertec was previously represented on the registry by then-executive vice-president André Lamarre from Sept. 28, 2010 to May 2, 2011. Hypertec has returned to the registry, according to its file, to seek funding under Innovation’s Strategic Innovation Fund program, in order to “create an environmentally-friendly cloud computing solution.”

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on June 30 at 9:28 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations

And The Lobby Monitor has learned that the Government Relations Institute of Canada (GRIC) has a new president. Megan Buttle, who is principal of digital at Earnscliffe Strategies, was elected at GRIC’s board meeting on June 29. She succeeds Jason Kerr, who stepped down after two years in the role, and who remains on the board as past president. Hunter Doubt, manager of government affairs at Expedia Group, is the new vice-president of GRIC; Alik Angaladian, principal at Maple Leaf Strategies, is treasurer; and Hardave Birk, manager of government relations at Shaw Communications, is corporate secretary.

The Lobby Monitor will not publish on Fri. July 1, due to the Canada Day public holiday, but will return to its regular publishing schedule on Mon. July 4. Have a happy and safe long weekend!