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

Andrew Scheer announced his resignation as leader of the Conservative Party on Dec. 12. As the party begins its search for a new leader, it will be important for lobbyists to reach out to members of the Conservative shadow cabinet, according to Adam Yahn, a senior consultant at Summa Strategies. In Yahn’s view, the direction of the party will be up for discussion, and stakeholders will want to keep the shadow cabinet’s members informed so that momentum isn’t lost on their issues.

A panel discussion was held in the Senate Building on Dec. 10 where pundits representing Liberal, Conservative, and NDP viewpoints discussed Canada’s new minority government and any possible common ground between the parties.

Yaroslav Baran, a partner at Earnscliffe Strategy Group and a former communications director for former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, suggested that maintaining the current minority government will have less to do with policy overlap, and more to do with political strategy.

Baran argued that the Conservatives will want to avoid an election for the time being because of internal concerns about the party’s leadership. He also didn’t think the Bloc Québécois would be interested in another election in the near future, because the party will want more time to enjoy its third-place status and official party status in the House of Commons following October’s election. The Bloc Québécois lost official party status in the 2011 election by winning only four seats. In the 2015 election, the party rose to 10 seats, and regained official party status in the October election by finishing with 32 seats.

Brock Carlton, who has served as CEO of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) for 12 years, announced last month that he will not his renew his contract at the end of his term. He will remain in the position until July 31, 2020.

Carlton’s tenure as CEO has spanned a Liberal and a Conservative federal government. Which party is in power hasn’t really affected the FCM’s lobbying efforts, according to Carlton. However, he does think their conversations with parliamentarians have gotten more productive over time simply because awareness of the FCM and its goals have grown amongst elected officials.

Carlton said that the FCM’s approach to lobbying during his time as CEO has shifted from being reactive to more proactive.

Karina Rolland-Sardana, a stakeholder relations adviser in the office of Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, was the most targeted designated public office holder, according to communication reports posted on the federal lobbyists’ registry between Dec. 2 and Dec. 9.

This is the second consecutive week that Rolland-Sardana was the most frequently listed name in posted communication reports. She appeared in 16 reports posted between Dec. 2 and Dec. 9, and in 25 reports posted between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2.

The Canola Council of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities were tied for the highest number (6) of communication reports posted between Dec. 2 and Dec. 9.

In new registrations, the Fluent Beverage Company made its first appearance on the registry Dec. 10 to talk to the federal government about policies and programs under the Cannabis Act. Edible forms of cannabis are scheduled to hit retail shelves on Dec. 17, and Fluent launched its first non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused beverage on Dec. 11. The brand, Everie, is currently a tea that is available in various flavours. A sparkling beverage is planned for early next year.

Consultant Patricia Sibal of Crestview Strategy will communicate with Health, Finance, Agriculture and Agri-Food, Innovation, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Another new name on the registry is the Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE) Social Enterprise. ICE started its first file on Dec. 10 with its executive director, Chris Henderson, as the senior officer.

The non-profit group is pursuing federal funding to support greater involvement of Indigenous people in clean energy projects, including energy-efficient housing and green energy storage.

Henderson will communicate with Indigenous Services, Environment, the Canadian Energy Regulator, Employment and Social Development, and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

Medical cannabis company Tilray increased its representation on the Hill by adding consultant Andrew Brander of Crestview Strategy on Dec. 6. Brander joins colleagues Sibal, Chad Rogers, Susie Heath, and Ginny Movat on the file.

The company is interested in pushing the federal government for more investment in the medical cannabis sector. Other topics of interest for Tilray include rules concerning cannabis product branding, in-store promotion, taxation, and a possible export strategy for medical cannabis, according to the registry.

New registry files posted between 2019-12-09 and 2019-12-13

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Dec. 13 at 9:00 a.m.

New registrations posted between 2019-12-09 and 2019-12-13

Reactivations posted between 2019-12-09 and 2019-12-13