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

A coalition of pharma companies are waiting to see the federal government’s plan to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) three years after it was first promised. Dr. Jason Nickerson, the humanitarian representative to Canada for Doctors Without Borders, called AMR a “pandemic that’s looming” and said the issue intertwines public health, human health, animal health and planetary health. The “key action” to working on AMR “is for the Canadian government to release the pan-Canadian action plan for AMR,” said Danielle Peters, a consultant and president of Magnet Strategy. (This story was also published in Hill Times Research, a sister publication to The Lobby Monitor which exclusively covers federal health policy.) 

Former Ensight Canada vice-president and general manager Matt Triemstra has joined Navigator Ltd. as an associate principal. Ensight, which was set up as a “strategic partnership” between Navigator and Enterprise Canada,  closed last year as the two parent companies sought to provide their own full service offerings in Ottawa. Triemstra brings more than a decade of government relations experience to the role, as well as insights gained while running as Conservative candidate during the 2021 federal election. “Running as a candidate really gives you an appreciation for what politicians pay attention to. I think there's a direct impact for me on taking that and how we create winning campaigns for our clients that resonate with elected officials,” he said. 

Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA) submitted 15 of the 100 communication reports posted on the federal lobbyists’ registry last week. Represented on the registry in-house by executive director Mark Plamondon, the AIHA is an organization made up of five Alberta municipalities in the Edmonton area that promotes local economic development, investment, and integrated planning. AIHA communicated with Ayesha Chughtai, Prairies and North regional adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on Nov. 25 and Nov. 29; Kyle Harrietha, deputy chief of staff and director of parliamentary affairs to Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, on Dec. 12; and Blake Oliver, senior policy adviser to Wilkinson, on Nov. 29.

Speaking of registrants, COVID-19 vaccine developer Moderna, retailer Staples Canada, and food delivery platforms DoorDash and SkipTheDishes are among the organizations that joined the federal lobbyists’ registry in 2021. A total of 2,158 new registrations were posted on the registry between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2021, according to data available on the registry at 1:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 11, 2022. Of those registrations, 1,001 were for organizations that had not previously appeared on the registry. The Lobby Monitor collated the organizations that were new to the registry last year, and included a status update for each file.

In more recent registrations, the PEI Potato Board started its first file on Jan. 7, with Maryscott Greenwood, managing director of Crestview Strategy’s U.S. office. The Charlottetown-based board is made up of representatives from the province’s potato seed, table, and processing industries. According to its registry file, the board plans to encourage the federal government to reverse its suspension of the export of Prince Edward Island’s potatoes to the U.S. Greenwood plans to communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Privy Council Office, Global Affairs, Agriculture, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the NAFTA Secretariat, as well as with MPs.

Also new to the registry is the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents (CPATA), which started its first file on Jan. 12, with consultant Anushka Kurian of McMillan Vantage. The Ottawa-based organization is the independent regulator of patent and trademark agents in Canada, issuing licences to agents dealing with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. According to its registry file, the college is interested in discussing “legislative and regulatory gaps” related to its mandate, as outlined in the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents Act. Kurian plans to communicate with Innovation.

Returning to the registry recently is the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC), which started a new file on Jan. 10, with consultant David Valentin of Liaison Strategies. NEPMCC was previously registered with Valentin between May 20, 2020, and Sept. 16, 2021. According to its registry file, NEPMCC is interested in seeking COVID-19 relief for media organizations serving Canadian minority language communities, as well as new and expanded funding “to ensure Canadians receive access to accurate information in their native tongue.” Valentin plans to communicate with 10 government agencies, including the PMO, Finance, Heritage, Health, Immigration, and Global Affairs, as well as with MPs.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Jan. 14 at 9:02 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations