Here’s what’s been on The Lobby Monitor’s radar this week:

The COVID-19 pandemic of the last 22 months has brought conversations about Canada’s health care system to the forefront, but with governments sliding in and out of emergency mode, it can be difficult to engage policymakers on issues not related to the immediate response. Hill Times Research (a sister publication to The Lobby Monitor which exclusively covers federal health policy) spoke to three consultants for their tips on how to advance health policy issues that aren’t directly related to COVID-19.

The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) submitted 36 of the 1,746 communication reports posted to the registry last week. MAC is represented on the registry in house by president and CEO Pierre Gratton, and most of the communications were related to a virtual “Mining Week on the Hill.” MAC communicated with Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal on Nov. 19; NDP natural resources critic Charlie Angus on Nov. 16; Griffin Marsh, policy director to Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller, on Nov. 26; and Jason Easton, chief of staff to International Trade Minister Mary Ng, on Nov. 24. The association also communicated with three deputy ministers: Timothy Sargent (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) on Nov. 3; and Jean-François Tremblay (Natural Resources Canada) and Christine Hogan (Environment and Climate Change Canada) on Nov. 19. 

In our final story of the year, The Lobby Monitor collated lists of the 100 most active consultants and in-house lobbyists based on the number of communications that occurred between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 21, 2021. The data comes from a search of communication reports on the federal lobbyists’ registry at 11:32 a.m. ET on Dec. 21, 2021.

New registry files

Based on a search of the of the federal lobbyists' registry at 10:54 a.m. ET on Dec. 22, 2021.

New registrations

Reactivations

And with that, on behalf of everyone at The Lobby Monitor, thank you for reading in 2021! Thank you also to everyone who shared their insights with us over what has been another extremely challenging year. We’ll be back on Jan. 4,  to cover the newest developments in lobbying rules, campaigns and company moves for 2022. In the meantime, we wish you and your loved ones a safe, happy, and relaxing holiday.

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

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s fall economic update shows lobbyists seeking pandemic support for clients that they should expect more targeted government assistance going forward, some consultants say. Cameron Holmstrom, a Bluesky Strategy Group consultant and former NDP staffer, said the statement showed more fiscal caution from the government compared to earlier in the pandemic. “That means if there are industries or clients looking for COVID-specific support, yes, there’s help there, but it’s not like it was over a year ago,” he said. Meanwhile, Daniel Perry, a Summa Strategies consultant and Conservative strategist, said the absence of big-ticket Liberal election promises showed the government is currently focused on more immediate needs.

Hugh Mansfield has joined McMillan Vantage Policy Group after almost 25 years leading his own public relations firm. Mansfield joined McMillan’s Toronto office last month as a principal, and will develop integrated communications strategies for clients. From 1995 until 2019, Mansfield was CEO of PR firm Mansfield, Inc. “You name it, I've pretty much done everything in the world of land developments and infrastructure development. I'm anticipating being very busy for the next 10 years in that vertical because there's so much going on,” he said.

Communication reports more than doubled between October and November, as parliamentarians return to Ottawa for the first time since the Sept. 20 election. The federal lobbyists’ registry shows that 1,940 communication reports were submitted for November, more than double the 984 filed in October. Some of the most active organizations on the registry were the Mining Association of Canada, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, and Adobe.

In more recent communication reports, the David Suzuki Foundation posted 17 of the 183 reports on the federal lobbyists’ registry last week. The foundation, which advocates for sustainability and environmental protection, communicated with Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on Nov. 5; Jamie MacDonald, Guilbeault’s policy director, on Nov. 8; Kurtis Laydon, Guilbeault’s parliamentary affairs and policy adviser, on Nov. 26; and Conor MacNeil, Guilbeault’s Atlantic regional affairs adviser, on Nov. 30. The foundation is a member of the Green Budget Coalition, which released five recommendations for the 2022 federal budget on Nov. 17.

In new registrations, Grieg Seafood started its first file on Dec. 8 with consultant Naresh Raghubeer of Sandstone Group. Based in Bergen, Norway, the company operates salmon farms in Newfoundland and British Columbia. According to its file, Grieg is interested in promoting its Canadian operations, as well as finding “a positive path forward for continued investments, job creation, food security, exports, and economic reconciliation with Nation(s).” Raghubeer will communicate with 13 government institutions, including the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Finance, Innovation, Global Affairs, Crown-Indigenous Relations, and Fisheries, as well as with MPs and senators.

In health and education communications, the Canadian Advanced Therapy Training Institute (CATTI) started its first file on Dec. 3 with independent consultant William Mantel. CATTI provides e-learning and on-site training programs in Montreal, Que. and Toronto for workers in the cell and gene therapy sector. According to its registry file, CATTI is interested in raising awareness of its goals among senior officials, seeking financial support for sector training programs, and ensuring “government is aware of the demand and lack of supply in advanced cell and gene therapy manufacturing skills and talent.” Mantel will communicate with 10 government institutions, including Innovation, Employment, the National Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Western Economic Diversification Canada.

Increasing its representation on the Hill recently is the Quebec Forestry Industry Council (QFIC), which added Virginia Clarke and Martin-Pierre Pelletier of Prospectus Associates on Dec. 7. Pelletier previously represented the council on the registry, but that file closed on March 20, 2019. The two Prospectus Associates join QFIC president and CEO Jean-François Samray, who has represented QFIC on the registry since Aug. 10, 2020. According to its registry file, QFIC is interested in discussing the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute. Clarke and Pelletier plan to communicate with 14 government institutions, including the PMO, Global Affairs, Innovation, Natural Resources, Environment, and Export Development Canada, as well as with MPs.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Dec. 17 at 9:04 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations