Here’s the news we covered this week:

We spoke with Megan Buttle, president of the Government Relations Institute of Canada, about her organization’s response to the final version of the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct, published on May 27 (the code will be in effect on July 1). Buttle said GRIC is glad to see additional clarity on several rules in the final version of the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct, but some crucial areas, such as a broader definition of a lobbyist’s sense of obligation, may present significant challenges.

Moms Stop The Harm was in Ottawa the week of May 29 to talk to MPs about their support for the decriminalization of illegal substances and the expansion of safe supply programs across Canada. The organization is composed of the family members of those who have experienced substance use-related harms and deaths. “We want to inspire [people], we want to break their hearts, we want to make them cry,” Leslie McBain, co-founder, told The Lobby Monitor of the group’s efforts. “And it happens because we tell our stories, and they are tragic … The worst thing in the world for a parent is to lose a child. That's our advocacy. It's nothing unusual. It's just saying, ‘We lost our kids. We don't want anybody else to go through this.’”

After serving three terms as a member of the legislative assembly of Alberta, Deron Bilous decided to forgo re-election and joined Counsel Public Affairs as senior vice-president with a goal of expanding the firm’s client base and its reach into western provinces. “To be honest, 11 years is a long time in elected life; it was time for a new adventure,” Bilous told The Lobby Monitor. “I have quite a few ambitions in my working career yet to achieve and it was time to leave politics.”

The Chicken Farmers of Canada’s (CFC) May 9 lobby day led the organization to submit the highest number of communication reports (78) to the federal lobbyists’ registry for the week of May 29. Jean-François Bérubé, senior communications officer for CFC, told The Lobby Monitor by email, that “Canadian chicken farmers and other industry representatives from across the country were in Ottawa to meet with MPs and senators to discuss important issues impacting the sector.” 

Snap Inc., the company behind the social media platform “Snapchat,” has joined the registry for the first time to discuss policy and legislation related to Canadian cyberspace. The company hired Eric Dillane, a consultant with Hill+Knowlton Strategies, to represent it in conversations.

The Muskeg Lake Cree Nation has returned to the federal lobbyists’ registry after 15 years. It has hired consultants Lisa Kirbie, Lucas Borchenko, and Tom Potter from Blackbird Strategies Ltd. to communicate with the PMO, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Indigenous Services, Justice, and MPs.  

Also returning to the registry is Kanata Clean Power & Climate Technologies Corp., which seeks to receive funds for green energy initiatives. It will be represented by Richard Maksymetz from Alar Strategy Group Inc., who aims to discuss having the company receive funding from the Clean Fuels Fund (a Natural Resources Canada initiative first announced in Budget 2021) and the innovation department’s Strategic Innovation Fund; and potentially collaborating with the federal government on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

New Registry

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

New Registrations

Reactivations