Here’s a rundown of the news we covered this week:

The federal ethics commissioner intends to propose a more streamlined process to speed up the initial compliance process MPs are required to complete following an election. In the 11 months since the October 2019 federal election, 23 MPs have not yet finished the process, which involves completing a statement disclosing their assets and sources of income, according to a report released by the ethics office on Sept. 2. After Parliament returns on Sept. 23, Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion may propose that MPs could have the same deadlines for completing the disclosure statements.

Ryan Guptill has joined Loyalist Public Affairs as a vice-president of strategic communications. Previously, Guptill acted as an associate director of public affairs for the Toronto office of Sidewalk Labs. In May, Sidewalk cancelled plans to turn an industrial section of the city’s waterfront into a “smart city.” Guptill said that during the COVID-19 pandemic there has been much public uncertainty, and a strong communications strategy is useful for organizations seeking to offer reassurance.

Jackie Choquette, a former chief of staff to former Ontario Liberal minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Yasir Naqvi, has joined Crestview Strategy as a vice-president at the firm’s Ottawa office. She most recently served as a vice-president at Hill+Knowlton Strategies. Her past experience includes helping to run more than a dozen political campaigns, including Naqvi’s successful 2011 re-election run in Ottawa Centre.

WE Charity amended three of its communication reports last week, including one report from Feb. 7 where the Minister of International Development Karina Gould was swapped out with Leslie MacLean, the deputy minister of International Development. Another report for communicating on April 17 retained the name of Minister of Youth Bardish Chagger, but removed the names of three staffers in Chagger’s office. The most active lobby organization based on communication reports posted was the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), which filed 53 reports. The TIAC reports, which date back to March, include contact with Minister of Economic Development Mélanie Joly on July 17 and July 28.

In new registrations, Freshouse Foods, a food retailer with two facilities in southern Ontario, started a file on Aug. 31 with consultant F.R. Hayward of Brendain Incorporated. The company is reaching out to the federal government to seek support from the Emergency Processing Fund (EPF), a federal program that provides an investment of up to $77.5 million to help companies implement changes to protect worker health and safety due to the impacts of the pandemic. Brendain will communicate with Agriculture.

A numbered company – 1332500 Ontario Inc. – started a file on Aug. 27 with consultant Kenzie McKeegan of Loyalist Public Affairs. The company is interested in accessing the federal government’s Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEF), to support its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. McKeegan will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Innovation, Finance, and Global Affairs Canada.

Coca-Cola increased its representation by adding Jason Clark of Crestview Strategy to its file on Aug. 6. Clark joins colleagues Kate Moseley-Williams, Sarina Rehal, Chad Rogers and Andrew Brander on the file. Coca-Cola is interested in speaking with the federal government about front-of-package labelling requirements, revisions to the Canada Food Guide, and restrictions on advertising to children, the registry shows. Clark will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Infrastructure, Innovation, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health and Finance.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Sept. 4 at 9:00 a.m.

New registrations

Reactivations