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

Lobbyists can expect that politicians from all parties will be interested in discussing affordability issues during the fall sitting of Parliament, say some consultants, while environmental reform and telecommunications bills will be of interest in committees. “The main thing Canadians are talking about right now is inflation, the cost of living, and you could call it the affordability crisis that we’re currently going through,” said Kyle Larkin, vice-president of Impact Public Affairs. “You look at everyday goods like food, and the cost continues to be very high, and it’s affecting predominantly lower-income families.”

Bluesky Strategy Group has welcomed new consultants Angelo Bakoulas, previously the GR specialist at Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP); Mike Blanchfield, a former Canadian Press reporter; and Emily Szemethy, a former staffer and public servant. Manuela Boeira was hired as a research associate. Bakoulas told The Lobby Monitor that his move to communications and government relations was inspired by past work in academia and journalism across three countries. “All of those experiences gradually moved me more towards being interested in lobbying and advocacy work,” he said. “In academia, I was doing research around communications and how different organizations communicate with their constituencies, and that led me to be interested in hands-on work, and at the same time maintaining that research mentality.”

Environment-related discussions dominated lobbying for a seventh straight month in August 2022. The environment appeared in 329 of the 1,544 communications last month. Other popular topics included energy (256), economic development (225), industry (203), and health (178). The most active organization in August 2022 was Nukik Corporation, which posted 38 reports.

In more recent communications, the Kivalliq Inuit Association posted 33 of the 1,198 communications reports posted to the federal lobbyists’ registry last week. The association is represented on the registry by consultant Tom Garrett of Chadwick Consulting. Kivalliq Inuit Association represents Inuit living in Nunavut’s Kivalliq region, which is situated on the mainland immediately west of Hudson Bay and north of Manitoba. The association communicated with Yvonne Jones, parliamentary secretary to Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal and to Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, on Aug. 25. 

In new registrations, the Independent Online News Publishers of Canada has hired National Public Relations consultant Marc Desmarais, who registered on Sept. 19, to represent it in discussions with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Heritage, as well as MPs and senators. The coalition’s members include Canadaland, Fry Vocal Studios, Métro Media, Overstory Media, The Breach, The Resolve, Village Media, and The Tyee. According to its registry file, the publishers joined the registry to arrange meetings with both elected and non-elected officials about Bill C-18, the Online News Act. 

Boostings its presence on the Hill, meanwhile, is News Media Canada, which has hired five new consultants to discuss C-18 and the Copyright Act. News Media Canada is a national association of print and digital news companies. Counsel Public Affairs consultants John Delacourt, Laila Hawrylyshyn, Brad Lavigne, Sheamus Murphy, and David Murray joined the file on Sept. 16, and will represent News Media Canada in discussions with MPs. They join News Media Canada president and CEO Paul Deegan on the file, as well as Isabel Metcalfe of Isabel Metcalfe Public Affairs Counsel.

Chemicals company Evonik Canada Inc. made its registry debut on Sept. 9 with Earnscliffe Strategies consultants Alicia Adams, Patrick Kennedy, and Lonzell Locklear. Evonik is a German chemicals company with hydrogen peroxide and oil additive production facilities in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. According to its registry file, Evonik is seeking government financial support for the expansion of its Canadian facilities, and plans to discuss the impact of federal regulations on climate change and the competitiveness of the specialty chemicals sector. In addition to Innovation, the Earnscliffe consultants plan to communicate with 17 other government institutions, including the PMO, Finance, Natural Resources, and Environment, as well as with MPs and senators.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Sept. 23 at 9:21 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations