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

The Canadian Ferry Association is urging the federal government to change the eligibility requirements for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) to allow BC Ferries to benefit from the program. The Forest Products Association of Canada also has concerns related to eligibility, and is seeking the elimination of the special rules for eligible employers that derive most or all of their revenue from non-arm’s-length partnerships. Both organizations told The Lobby Monitor they intend to make a submission to the CEWS consultation, which closed for input on June 5.

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) argues that the federal government needs to move more quickly on the implementation of national pharmacare because millions of Canadians have become unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Figures from Statistics Canada indicate more than 3 million Canadians have lost their jobs since March. Loss of jobs could mean loss of workplace benefits, which means solutions are needed for drug coverage, according to Hassan Yussuff, CLC’s president. Susan Murray, the vice-president of government relations with the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA), doesn’t agree that there is a substantial drop in drug coverage during the pandemic than from before. Data gathered by surveys of CLHIA members every two weeks indicate a drop of between one to two per cent in the number of Canadians with drug coverage, according to Murray.

Romeo Tello, a former NDP staffer at the provincial and federal levels, is now offering his political insight as a consultant at Crestview Strategy. Tello previously served as a legislative assistant to Ontario MPP Sara Singh, one of the two deputy leaders of the Ontario NDP. He is a former tour officer for federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, as well as a former executive assistant in the office of British Columbia’s NDP Premier John Horgan. Tello said now a unique time in history because the Liberal minority government, combined with the current pandemic, means the federal government will need to lean more heavily on opposition parties for support.

Communication reports posted last week included economic development as the subject matter three times as frequently as reports related to health. Economic development was listed in 19 out of the 102 communication reports posted between May 25-31, while health was listed in six. Aqua Forum and Group Renaud-Bray each submitted three communication reports which included economic development as a subject for discussion.

In new registrations, MemSel Manufacturing started its first file on May 29 with consultants Kenzie McKeegan and Nicholas Pozhke of Loyalist Public Affairs. Consultant Christopher Froggatt of the same firm was added on June 1. The company, based in Saskatchewan, is interested in discussing the import, manufacture and sale of medical devices in response to the pandemic. MemSel has developed a face mask which it claims on its website is effective for longer periods of time than a standard N95 mask. The three consultants will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Innovation, Global Affairs Canada, the Privy Council Office, Public Safety Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Canadian Medical Nonwovens (CMN) started its first file on May 25 with consultant Paul Tye of Sussex Strategy Group. The company is interested in establishing a manufacturing facility for production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in Ontario, the registry shows. Tye will communicate with the PMO, Canadian Heritage, Innovation, Finance, Health, and Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Particle Vaccine Canada started its first file on May 25 with Dylan McGuinty, a managing partner at McGuinty Law Offices in Ottawa. The company is seeking federal funding for powder vaccine delivery technology, according to its file. McGuinty will communicate with the PMO, Health, Innovation, the National Research Council, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
 

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on June 5 at 9:30 a.m.
 

New registrations

Reactivations