On The Lobby Monitor’s radar this week…

The House ethics committee membership was unveiled this week.Government members include Greg Fergus (who was also a member during the 43rd Parliament), Iqra Khalid, Ya’ara Saks, Parm Bains and Lisa Hepfner. Conservative members include the party’s ethics critic, John Brassard, as well as Pat Kelly, Damien Kurek, and Lianne Rood. NDP ethics critic Matthew Green and his Bloc counterpart, René Villemure, round out the committee, which will meet for the first time on Dec. 13 to elect a chair.

The Lobby Monitor published its first Policy Map for the 44th Parliament this week, examining Bill C-3. The government bill would both introduce 10 days of paid sick leave for federally regulated employees, and ban intimidation of health care workers and their patients. Our guide includes the details of the bill, its history, and which advocates have spoken on it.

Hill + Knowlton consultant Kevin Bosch has joined forces with Naresh Raghubeer, formerly a vice-president at Chantier Davie Canada, to create Sandstone Group.. Bosch and Raghubeer are managing partners at the new Ottawa-based government relations firm, while Doug Thomas, a former national director at Navy League of Canada, is a senior associate. Bosch will remain with Hill+Knowlton, but has taken on an associate role after previously holding the title of vice-president. 

Hope for Dementia, a Montreal, Que.-based advocacy group is pushing the federal government for more policy emphasis on preventing dementia, as well as educating Canadians on related risk factors. The organization has launched a parliamentary petition on the issue, and has warned of a “tsunami” of dementia diagnoses if preventable risk factors are not better addressed. (This story was also published in Hill Times Research, a sister publication to The Lobby Monitor which exclusively covers federal health policy.)

The Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC) submitted nine of the 137 communication reports posted to the federal lobbyists’ registry last week. Represented on the registry in-house by CEO Keith Lancastle, the national association for the real estate valuation profession held virtual Hill days from Nov. 24 to Dec. 3. The AIC communicated with several members of the Conservative shadow cabinet, including small business critic Tracy Gray on Dec. 3, ethics critic Richard Bragdon and heritage critic John Nater on Dec. 2, and housing critic Matt Jeneroux on Nov. 29. Other parliamentarians contacted by the institute include Conservative MP Michael Kram, and Liberal MPs Sean Casey, Andy Fillmore, and Ya’ara Saks.

In new registrations, malt manufacturing companies Rahr Malting Canada Limited and Boortmalt Biggar - Prairie Malt ULC started their first files on Dec. 1. Both are being represented by consultant Tyler Bjornson of T. Bjornson & Associates Consulting Inc. According to both companies’ registry files, they are interested in providing information to federal officials about what the greenhouse gas emission intensity for their industry currently is “and what the reduction should be adjusted to.” Bjornson plans to communicate with 12 government agencies, including the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Finance, Innovation, and Agriculture, as well as with MPs and senators.

In infrastructure registrations, TELUS Spark Science Centre started its first file on Dec. 7 with consultant Patricia Toner of Global Public Affairs. The science museum in Calgary, Alta., is seeking federal funding for upgrades “to the built environment inside the centre,” according to its registry file. Toner plans to communicate with 13 government bodies, including the PMO, Privy Council Office, Finance, Heritage, Environment, and Innovation, as well as with MPs and senators.

Strengthening its representation on the Hill is Boeing Canada Operations Ltd., which added consultants Darcy Walsh and David Rodier of Edelman Canada on Nov. 29 and Nov. 30, respectively. The pair join managing director Charles S. Sullivan, who has represented the company on the registry since Aug. 4, 2020. According to its new files, Boeing is seeking government contracts for the replacement of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s McDonnell Douglas CF-18 fighter jet fleet. Walsh and Rodier will communicate with 10 government bodies, including the PMO, Finance, National Defence, Public Services and Procurement, and the Competition Tribunal, as well as with MPs.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Dec. 10 at 9:06 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations