Here’s what The Lobby Monitor talked about this week: 

Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein released the results of his investigation into actions taken by Annette Verschuren when she was chair of Sustainable Development Technology Canada. Verschuren, who resigned last fall, came under fire last year for participating in votes at the agency that led to federal funds being sent to groups with which she was affiliated. Von Finckenstein found Verschuren contravened ethics laws when she failed to recuse herself from those votes. 

The Lobby Monitor spoke with Michi Furuya Chang from Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada about her industry’s self-imposed code restricting the advertising of some foods and beverages to children. Furuya Chang said her group is asking the federal government to give the industry code—which has been in place since June 2023—a chance before moving forward with regulations about the same issue, something the federal Liberals have been promising to do since 2015. 

Moving onto Gen Z … this week’s On Queen Street feature focused on First Lake Solutions’ Maia Lugar who is a lobbyist in her mid-20s. Lugar discussed how her job has changed, and what Gen Z brings to the world of advocacy. One of those traits, according to Lugar, is the ability to connect with political staffers who are also often in their late 20s or early 30s. “I think that it really helps to have that perspective and have that kind of youth and those ideas on your [advocacy] team. Because it helps you know … what government is thinking, and how they're going to be operating,” she said. “Knowing how someone processes information is so helpful to being able to get your point across, and being able to really advocate on your goals.” 

In this week’s communication reports, Cruise Lines International Association found itself as having submitted the highest number of reports during the week of July 15. The organization’s 22 reports come from conversations held last month by their Sandstone Group consultants Don Boudria, Shawn Driscoll, Elia Lopez, Hugues Théorêt, and Peter Stuyt. The consultants have registered a number of possible reasons for lobbying including discussions about long-term planning for the efficient processing of cruise passengers at ports and airports; the prevention of pollution as the issue relates to the Canada Oceans Act and the Canada Shipping Act; and Marine Transportation Security Regulations.  A total of 1,597 communications were submitted to the registry last week. 

And in new registrations, the Coalition Against New Home Taxes has joined the federal lobbyists’ registry for the first time to talk with officials about the possibility of reducing or eliminating the HST and land-transfer tax on all new housing. Jonathan Rose, a consultant with Policy Concepts Inc., will represent the coalition on the Hill and is expected to connect with officials from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Finance, Employment, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Also new to the registry is A Woman’s Work Support Centre, which has retained the services of William Shelling and Sheamus Murphy, both of Counsel Public Affairs. The consultants will reach out to the PMO, Employment, Women and Gender Equality, and Infrastructure Canada, to discuss possible support for the organization, which helps women who want to work in the construction industry. 

Also wanting to discuss the importance of supporting the trades is Homeward Public Affairs’ Mariam Razi. She has been hired by the Labour Education Centre to talk with officials about how the federal government can help the organization with its programs meant to upskill or increase Canada’s workforce in the skilled trades. Razi, whose Homeward colleague Jacob Gorenkoff is also registered to lobby for the organization, will connect with Innovation, Indigenous Services, and Employment and Social Development.