Here’s the news we covered this week:

Following the release of Budget 2024, The Lobby Monitor spoke with Hill and Knowlton’s Daniel Perry and Sussex Strategy’s Dan Lovell, who shared their initial reaction to the document’s release. Both consultants agreed that the federal government’s handling of the budget rollout, including multiple pre-budget announcements, was a successful strategy. However, the pair also said that the issue of the federal debt and whether budget measures would actually be implemented are major concerns. “I've worked in Liberal politics for a long time and … this was one of the best budget rollouts I've seen in a long time,” said Lovell, a former political staffer. “The pre-announcements were actually really a smart thing to do to control the narrative and have their story be told.”

In monthly communications, Telesat Canada was the most active lobbyist in March, with a total of 38 communication reports submitted to the federal lobbyists' registry. The company is represented by the company’s president and CEO Daniel Goldberg. Discussion topics on Goldberg’s registry file include the government’s funding programs and advocating that the government establish a national space council to promote and support Canada’s space economy. A total of 2,407 communication reports were submitted throughout March.

The Lobby Monitor covered the release of Budget 2024, highlighting the government’s measures on issues such as housing, health, and the transition to a net-zero economy. In an attempt to address Canada’s housing crisis, the federal government proposed the creation of a Public Land for Homes Plan which would use federal land for the construction of 250,000 homes by 2031. That plan would see land occupied by Canada Post and National Defence leased to housing providers.

In this week’s communication reports, a new report from the Grain Growers of Canada served as the basis for conversations during the organization’s April 9 and April 10 lobbying days, which led the group to submit the highest number of communication reports to the federal lobbyists' registry last week. The GGC is represented on the federal registry by its executive director Kyle Larkin, who submitted 17 communications. A total of 422 reports were filed to the federal registry between April 8 and April 14.

In this week’s registrations, ING Robotic Aviation Inc. is joining the federal lobbyists’ registry for the first time. It is looking to engage government officials to discuss its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for military use and potential funding opportunities. The company is represented by David Pratt of David Pratt & Associates.

GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc. is another company seeking discussions with the federal government in relation to military procurement. The company is represented by Goran Samuel Pesic and Jonas LeBlanc-Wilmink of Samuel Associates. Israel-based Geospectrum Technologies Inc. specializes in underwater acoustics systems for surveillance and exploration purposes.

In new registrations, Coinbase Group Inc. has hired Cameron Doherty of Crestview Strategy to represent it on the registry. The company is also represented by Graham Looney of Edelman Canada. The consultant will seek discussions on matters related to the cryptocurrency industry including economic development and security. Coinbase is an American cryptocurrency exchange platform.

New Registry

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on April 19, at 8:55 a.m. E.T.

New Registrations

Reactivation