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

The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) was the most active lobbying organization between January and April 2021, with 259 filed communication reports. The association’s communications revolved around potential regulatory changes that would restrict flavours or nicotine levels in vaping products, according to Darryl Tempest, CVA’s executive director. Following behind the CVA in terms of lobbying activity was the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which filed 109 communication reports during the first third of the year. The chamber’s advocacy priority is to discuss federal government policies intended to help businesses transition from lockdown conditions towards an eventual reopening, according to Alla Drigola, the chamber’s director of parliamentary affairs and policy for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The CBA also dominated in the number of communication reports filed on the registry last week. It contributed 55 of the 501 communication reports, which detail the CVA’s communication with six federal ministers in May, including Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on May 21, Minister of Infrastructure Catherine McKenna on May 26, and Minister of Public Services Anita Anand on May 31. Economic development topped the list of most popular subjects in lobbying in 2020-21 for the first time since communication reporting began in mid-2008, according to the annual report released by the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying (OCL) on June 15. The report, covering lobbying and the OCL’s activities between the period of April 2020 and March 2021, showed that the 2020-2021 fiscal year also set new records in the average number of active lobbyist registrations per month, and the total number of filed communication reports, which reached 28,919.

The federal ethics office released its annual reports on activity connected to the Conflict of Interest Act and Conflict of Interest Code on June 10. They showed the office responded to more advice requests during the last fiscal year from designated public office holders (DPOH) on the Conflict of Interest Act than in any of the previous six years. The ethics office handled 2,237 requests for advice from DPOHs in 2020-2021. Ethics commissioner Mario Dion said in one of the reports that his office experienced a “high volume of work across all activity areas” during the pandemic. In 2020-2021, the ethics office issued 11 administrative monetary penalties, and closed 40 case files related to the Conflict of Interest Act.

In our weekly look at communication reports, we found that the CVA contributed 55 of the 501 reports filed last week on the federal lobbyists’ registry. The reports detailed the CVA’s communication with six federal ministers in May, including Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on May 21, Minister of Infrastructure Catherine McKenna on May 26, and Minister of Public Services Anita Anand on May 31. The CVA is interested in discussing Health Canada’s legislation and regulatory proposals related to vaping products and devices, according to the registry.

In new registrations, Eagle Eye Entertainment (doing business as Broadway Across Canada) started its first registry file on June 16 with consultant Tara Mazurk of Global Public Affairs. The organization, which presents theatrical productions in Toronto, is advocating for COVID-19 recovery funding from the federal government to support commercial theatre in Canada, the registry shows. Mazurk will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Innovation, Finance, Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, Global Affairs Canada, MPs and senators.

Also from the arts and culture sector, BH Empanada Loca started its first registry file on June 7 with consultant Allyson Grant of StrategyCorp. The organization is interested in discussing immigration policy in regards to individuals seeking entry to Canada in order to film a pilot episode for a television production, the registry shows. Grant will communicate with Immigration and with MPs.

Festivals and Major Events (FAME) Canada strengthened its registry file on June 15 by adding consultant Tara Beauport of Capital Hill Group. She joins colleagues Dennis Burnside and David Angus on the file. FAME Canada is advocating for the federal government to increase funding for the Canada Arts Presentation Fund and the Building Communities through Arts & Heritage program. Beauport will communicate with the PMO, Finance, Innovation, Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Tourism Commission, Public Safety Canada, and with MPs.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on June 18 at 10:00 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations