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

Lobbyists hoping to reach the ear of newly-elected Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and his team can expect cost-of-living discussions to be prioritized, according to some consultants. Ashton Arsenault, vice-president at Crestview Strategy, said consultants will need to adapt their approach to the party’s new leadership as the fall sitting approaches. “I don't think you're going to see a dramatic realignment in terms of their messaging. What I do think you're going to see, however, is a lot more specificity around policy,” he said. “Leaving the Tories out of your GR plans is probably going to lead to adverse results.”

Laura Kurkimaki has joined Earnscliffe Strategies’ Ottawa office as a partner. She brings insights into the way the federal Conservatives have operated while on the government and opposition benches. That includes time working in the offices of former prime minister Stephen Harper and opposition leader Erin O’Toole. Meanwhile, Counsel Public Affairs has a new senior vice-president in John Delacourt, who joined the company last week. He moved to  Counsel after working at Hill+Knowlton Strategies as a vice-president between March 2019 and August 2022. 

Moving briefly from Parliament Hill to Halifax’s Citadel Hill, national government relations firms are setting up shop in Atlantic Canada as the region experiences a population boom, while regional companies see the potential for greater engagement at the federal level. “There’s a lot of opportunities here,” said Trevor Floyd, partner at Iris Communications, a PR and GR firm based in Halifax. “We’ve always talked about it, but it's now coming to fruition. Growing pains are happening in the region, but we're excited about the opportunities here.”

The Canadian Dental Association (CDA), Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited, and Nukik Corporation led in communication reports last week, with each posting seven communications between Sept. 5 and Sept. 11. The CDA communicated on Aug. 2 with Tyler Meredith, director of economic strategy and planning to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, and Yash Nanda, policy adviser to Freeland. The CDA also communicated with Liberal MPs Wayne Long and Brenda Shanahan on Aug. 2 and Aug. 19; and NDP small business critic Richard Cannings on Aug. 16. A CDA spokesperson told The Lobby Monitor in an email on Aug. 12 that the organization discussed the $5.3 billion allocated over five years to the development of a dental care program in the 2022 federal budget.

In new registrations, four helium companies have joined the registry to urge the government to list the resource as a priority critical mineral. First Helium Inc., Global Helium Corp., Helium Evolution Inc., and Royal Helium Ltd. are all represented by consultant Richard Dunn of Capilano Policy Group. First Helium started its file on Sept. 7, while the other three companies registered on Sept. 8. Each company’s registry file states an interest in capital cost deductions for helium exploration and development spending, as well as the listing of helium as a priority critical mineral in order to prioritize government support for such projects. Dunn plans to communicate with Finance, Natural Resources, and Innovation on behalf of the companies.

Two wineries from the Greater Toronto Area are also new to the registry. Gallucci Winery and Willow Springs Winery, both based in Stouffville, Ont., hired AKR Consulting Canada consultant Bonny Koabel to represent them in discussions with Agriculture. Koabel registered to represent both companies on Sept. 16. The Willow Springs file is backdated to Aug. 8, and the Gallucci file is backdated to Aug. 11. Both wineries are seeking access to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Wine Sector Support Program, according to their registry files. The files state that the wineries require short-term financial support due to challenges facing the industry.

Returning to the registry recently is the Association of Fundraising Professionals Canada (AFP), which has hired Temple Scott Associates consultants Kristina Proulx and Ryan Singh to represent it in discussions with the PMO, Justice, Finance, Employment, Innovation, and the CRA, as well as with MPs and senators. Proulx and Singh registered on Sept. 8. The association advocates on behalf of approximately 3,000 members involved in the fundraising profession in Canada. AFP was most recently represented by Jason Lee, the organization’s chief advocacy and strategy officer, between Sept. 2, 2016, and March 31, 2020. AFP has returned to the registry to call for the creation of a federal secretariat for the not-for-profit sector, according to its file.