Here’s the news we covered this week:Konrad von Finckenstein has been appointed as the permanent Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Prime Minister’s Office made the announcement on Feb. 29, the same day von Finckenstein’s six-month interim term was set to come to an end. Von Finckenstein, who started in the job on Aug. 30, 2023, is set to serve a seven-year term.

The Lobby Monitor spoke with Sadaf Abbasi, vice-president at Sussex Strategy, about the launch of the firm’s health practice. Abbasi, who is leading the practice, said that an increased demand for “specialized expertise” and an ever-evolving health-care policy landscape were the motivating factors behind the launch. “We saw a growing demand for specialized expertise and navigating the complexities of health care,” said Abbasi. “There's just been so much going on … and we wanted to provide that extra layer of expertise, experience and support to our existing clients, but also to attract more down the road.”

Carla Ventin, the former senior vice-president of government relations at Food, Health, and Consumer Products, has joined GT and Company as principal. Ventin spoke to The Lobby Monitor about her previous work experience and how she hopes to further grow in her new role. “I've worked in a lot of areas, including in agri-food, manufacturing and health, and international trade, but there are other areas of the economy that I am interested in expanding more into,” said Ventin. “What I really like about moving into a consulting firm is that you can work for a variety of different clients from different sectors of the economy and that's very appealing to me; you can apply your skill set, expertise, and knowledge to other sectors.”

In this week’s communication reports, the Frontier Duty Free Association submitted the highest number of communication reports in the week of Feb. 19, 2024. The organization is represented on the federal lobbyists’ registry by Brett Hartley and Barbara Barrett of Impact Public Affairs. The consultants submitted 10 communications out of a total of 101 reports filed in the past week. Barrett and Hartley list several topics on their registry files including requests for funding through the Tourism Growth Strategy and loan forgiveness for those who made use of the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA).

In this week’s registrations, InductEV Inc. is joining the federal lobbyists' registry for the first time to discuss the benefits of wireless charging for electric vehicles (EV). The company is represented by Stefano Hollands of Crestview Strategy. InductEV aims to educate the federal government on the benefits of wireless, on-route charging for public transit and commercial vehicles in ports, according to Hollands’ file.The company offers technology which is capable of remotely charging commercial or passenger EVs.

The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), represented by president and CEO David Wilkes, has also joined the registry for the first time. Communications will focus on the need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the development approval process and the development industry through policy reform. BILD represents home building, residential and non-residential land development and professional renovation industries in the Greater Toronto Area.

New Registry

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Mar. 1, at 8:30 a.m. E.T.
 

New Registartion 

Reactivation

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Mar. 1, at 8:30 a.m. E.T.
 

New Registartion 

Reactivation