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

Ex political-staffers-turned lobbyists remain unsure of the impact the recent French and English-language debates  will have on a tight election race. “It’s always better to have a good night, because you can ride that momentum to the end of the campaign,” said Brad Lavigne, a partner and vice-president at Counsel Public Affairs. “When you have a bad night, it’s very hard to turn it around in the last 10 days of the campaign.”

Prior to the start of the campaign, Liberal François-Philipe Champagne was the politician lobbyists reached out to the most during the most recent session of parliament. Most recently the Liberal government’s innovation minister, Champagne was named in 189 filed communication reports. The Lobby Monitor collated the MPs and senators that lobbyists communicated with between the reading of the federal Liberals’ throne speech on Sept. 20, 2020, and the dissolution of Parliament on Aug. 15, 2021. The list is part of a four-part series The Lobby Monitor is releasing each Wednesday.

In more recently filed communications, the Association of Canadian Port Authorities filed 16 of the 56 reports logged last week. Represented on the registry by its president, Wendy Zatylny, the association represents the country’s 17 port authorities. Zatylny communicated on June 8 with Marie-France Lalonde, who was then parliamentary secretary to the economic development minister; Agriculture deputy minister Chris Forbes; Conservative transport critic Stephanie Kusie, who was the Conservative transport critic; and Vance Badawey, then the Liberal chair of the House transport committee.

In new registrations, the Resilient Healthcare Coalition (RHC) started its first file on Aug. 26 with Ian Chesney of Santis Health. According to its file, the coalition is interested in discussing improvements to the health care system, including “faster access to health care innovation and technology, as well as better access to data and data sharing to help monitor health outcomes.” Chesney will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Privy Council Office (PCO), Health, Finance, and Innovation.

Also in health registrations, the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) recently returned to the registry after a three-year absence. Consultant Kyle Larkin of Impact Public Affairs became active for the association on Aug. 30, which is advocating that midwives gain access to Canada’s student loan forgiveness program. Larkin will communicate with the PMO, Health, Global Affairs, Indigenous Services, Crown-Indigenous Relations, and Rural Economic Development, as well as with MPs and senators.

Increasing its presence on the Hill is the Great Canadian Railtour Company, which added Andrea Beltran of Global Public Affairs on Sept. 7. Beltran joins colleagues Philip Cartwright, Curtis O’Nyon and Hunter Doubt on the file, as well as Peter Armstrong, the company’s president. The company, which operates Rocky Mountaineer rail tours through British Columbia and Alberta, is interested in discussing COVID-19 policies related to border management and the recovery of the tourism sector, according to its file. Beltran will communicate with the PMO, PCO, Transport, Finance, Health, Innovation, and Western Economic Diversification Canada, as well as with MPs.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Sept. 9 at 9:22 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations

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

The Conservatives’ election platform’s focus on ethics and lobbying is a tactic opposition parties have used in successful bids to win government, say academics, but its effectiveness during a pandemic remains to be seen. “It’s hard to convince the voter that the ethics record is the primary issue when so many people are out of work and hanging by a thread on a personal level,” said Ian Stedman, a lawyer and assistant professor at York University’s School of Public Policy and Administration. If the Conservatives form government after the Sept. 20 election, Stedman said those policies could be implemented even if the party has a minority, but enforcement of the new rules may be easier said than done. 

Moderna Therapeutics, Nasdaq Inc. and the Toronto International Film Festival were among those that made their debut on the federal lobbyists’ registry during the last parliamentary session. The Lobby Monitor dug into the lobbyists' registry to pull together this list of organizations that were new to the registry between Sept. 23, 2020, and Aug. 15,. The list is part of a four-part series The Lobby Monitor is releasing each Wednesday.

Agricultural groups hope the public’s focus on food supply chain problems during the pandemic will translate to a focus on the sector’s priorities at the ballot box. Mary Robinson, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s president, said the industry always hoped for a greater focus on agricultural priorities at election time, but grocery prices and empty shelves had made voters more aware of the fragility of food supply. “I think agriculture in Canada has a pretty good rep, people generally hold Canadian producers in fairly high regard,” she said. “We always want to have a higher profile, absolutely we do, because we see us as kind of the last kid being picked for the soccer or baseball team saying ‘pick me, pick me!’”

In new registrations, the Canadian office of Diageo started its first files on Aug. 26 with Marie Lemieux and Steve Van Groningen of Public Affairs Advisors. The U.K.-based owner of alcohol brands Guinness, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, and Crown Royal plans to discuss industry measures to reduce harmful drinking. Lemieux and Van Groningen will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Global Affairs, Health, Finance, and Environment, and with MPs.

In not-for-profit registrations, SOS Children’s Villages Canada started its first file with Thomas Bauer, its president and CEO, on July 31. The charity is interested in securing federal contributions towards the delivery of international development and humanitarian assistance programs. Bauer will communicate with Global Affairs and Finance, as well as MPs and senators.

Returning to the registry under a new name is the Atlantic Groundfish Council, which started a new file on Aug. 30 with Tiéoulé Traoré of National Public Relations. Previously registered as the Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council with Mathew Klie-Cribb of National Public Relations between June 1, 2015 and June 2, 2016, and his colleague Gregory Kolz between Nov. 30, 2015, and May 19, 2016, the industry association is interested in introductory meetings to discuss ways the federal government can support northern cod fishing. (Klie-Cribb currently works as a policy analyst at Natural Resources Canada, while Kolz is director of government relations at the Railway Association of Canada.) Traoré will communicate with the PMO and the Privy Council Office.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Sept. 3 at 9:02 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations

The Lobby Monitor will not publish on Mon. Sept. 6, due to the Labour Day public holiday, but will return to its regular publishing schedule on Tues. Sept. 7. Have a great and safe weekend!