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

The Canadian Health Coalition (CHC) has launched a “Health and Hope 2025” campaign in an effort to help turn health promises from the supply-and-confidence agreement between the Liberal government and NDP into a reality. CHC members have been advocating for a national universal pharmacare program – one of the elements of the supply-and-confidence agreement – for many years. When news broke in March of the supply-and-confidence agreement between the Liberal government and NDP, the CHC saw an opportunity. “We decided that when we looked at the terms of the agreement, particularly the top four health care commitments, … we said, look, this is a great opportunity to expand health care in our public medicare system in a way that we haven't seen in a few generations,” said Steven Staples, national director of policy and advocacy at the coalition.

This fall’s legislative agenda is packed, and so are venues around the Hill as politicians, staffers, lobbyists, and media rub shoulders at receptions in numbers not seen since early 2020. The first two weeks of the fall sitting have been accompanied by a string of Hill days and receptions. On the first sitting day alone, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs held its annual parliamentary reception in the Sir John A. Macdonald Building (SJAM), and McDonald’s Canada played host at Queen Street Fare. “Any Monday through Thursday in a sitting week, from last week going forward to Thanksgiving, we have no availability, all of our event space is fully booked,” said Sarah Chown, Métropolitain Brasserie’s managing partner.

Looking at new lobbying hires, Compass Rose has welcomed Melissa Cable and Samantha Thompson as public affairs counsellors, while Ross Lemieux has joined the team as a financial controller. “The growth in general is the result of potential clients approaching Compass Rose… there’s growing interest on the part of Canadian businesses across [small and mid-size enterprises],” said Cable. Meanwhile, Joyce Mankarios has joined Sussex Strategy Group as the director of Ontario government relations. Mankarios was most recently the policy director to Christine Elliott, when Elliott was Ontario’s health minister and deputy premier.

The Open Media Engagement Network (OpenMedia), Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC), and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) were the most active organizations on the federal lobbyists’ registry last week, posting three communication reports each. There were a total of 83 communication reports posted between Sept. 19 and Sept. 26. OpenMedia communicated with three staffers in the office of Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez on July 20: policy director Ron Ahluwalia, and policy advisers Julie Harb and Matthew Gray. OpenMedia also communicated with Independent Senator Bernadette Clement on Sept. 7, and Madison McSweeney, parliamentary assistant to Independent Senator Karen Sorensen, on Aug. 25. 

In new registrations, Disability Without Poverty (DWP) has hired four PAA Advisory consultants to represent it in discussions with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Privy Council Office, Finance, Employment, and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), as well as with MPs and senators. PAA’s Tara Mazurk and Brandon Purcell registered on Sept. 19, followed by Sean Casey on Sept. 23, and Colm O’Sullivan on Sept. 26. DWP seeks to end poverty for people with disabilities in Canada. According to its registry file, the organization wants to engage the federal government in discussions about Bill C-22, the Canada Disability Benefit Act.

Also focusing on easing the high cost of living is Efficiency Canada, which made its registry debut on Sept. 20. The research group, which is based at Carleton University’s Sustainable Research Energy Centre, seeks to improve energy efficiency across Canada. Efficiency Canada is represented on the registry by Temple Scott Associates consultants Ujwal Ganguly, Josh Matthewman, and Don Moors. The consultants will lobby the government to create a comprehensive low-income energy efficiency strategy, with funding support for low-income homeowners, renters, and rental buildings. Ganguly, Matthewman, and Moors plan to communicate with the PMO, Finance, Natural Resources, and MPs.

Also new to the registry is Essilor Vision Foundation Canada, which started its first file on Sept. 26. Essilor has hired Sandstone Group consultants Kevin Bosch, Helene Chalifour Scherrer, Naresh Raghubeer, Douglas Thomas, and Matthew Trapp to represent it in discussions with 12 government institutions, including the PMO, Health, Global Affairs, Finance, and Women and Gender Equality, as well as with MPs and senators. The foundation is the charitable arm of eyeglass lens company Essilor Canada. It runs programs and initiatives such as mobile vision care clinics and school screenings to create access to health vision for underserved communities. Essilor wants to discuss vision impairment and eyecare solutions in both Canada and internationally, according to its registry file.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Sept. 30 at 9:05 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations