Here’s the news we covered this week:

The Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying (OCL) expects that updates to the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct will be in force by this summer, after the House ethics committee completed its study of Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger’s proposed changes to the rules. “Commissioner Bélanger appreciates the work of the committee on the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct and is carefully considering the recommendations before finalizing the code,” an OCL spokesperson told The Lobby Monitor. “The updated code will then be submitted to the Canada Gazette for publication.” Publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I is the next step in the process to implement the updated code. The OCL spokesperson said the publication date of the CG notice will not be the in-force date of the code, but that the actual implementation date will be included in the notice. 

The alcohol industry saw a major win in the 2023 budget, thanks to old-school lobbying and a callback to SCTV sketch comedy characters “Bob and Doug,” association representatives said. Due to high inflation rates, the alcohol excise duty was expected to rise by 6.3 per cent on April 1. Instead, the government announced it will cap the tax hike at two per cent for one year. “A 6.3-per-cent increase would have been like building a 10-foot impenetrable wall,” said CJ Hélie, president of Beer Canada. “A two-per-cent increase is sort of like a hurdle; you can clear a hurdle, but you can’t clear a 10-foot wall.”

World Vision Canada posted 15 of the 162 communication reports submitted to the registry last week. It is represented on the registry by CEO and president Michael Messenger. World Vision communicated with International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan and Transport Minister Omar Alghabra on Feb. 13; Pam Damoff, parliamentary secretary to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, on March 28; Conservative international development critic Garnett Genuis on March 13; and NDP foreign affairs and international development critic Heather McPherson on March 23. A World Vision Canada spokesperson told The Lobby Monitor that the communications centred on three issues: the federal government’s response to the earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria on Feb. 6; the eradication of forced and child labour from Canadian supply chains; and the provision of aid to Afghanistan.

In new registrations, the Inuuqatigiit Centre for Inuit Children, Youth and Families has joined the federal lobbyists’ registry as it seeks funding to build a facility to house all of its programs in Ottawa, according to the file. Inuuqatigiit has hired consultant Rick MacLeod Farley of MacLeod Farley & Associates, who registered on March 31, to represent it in discussions about possible funding. Lobbying targets include Crown-Indigenous Relations, Indigenous Services, Infrastructure, Women and Gender Equality, Public Services, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

MacLeod Farley also registered recently to represent Matullia Holdings LP, which started its first file on March 31. Matullia is a holding company set up by the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations to repurchase Indigenous land at a former industrial site in Victoria. According to its registry file, Matullia intends to share its development plans for the site with officials, and will pursue grants to support those plans. MacLeod Farley plans to communicate with 14 government institutions, including Crown-Indigenous Relations, Indigenous Services, Heritage, Infrastructure, Transport, Environment, and Employment.

Boosting its representation on the registry is Cape Breton University (CBU), which added Summa Strategies consultant Ian Skipworth on April 3. Skipworth joins Summa colleagues Robin MacLachlan and Meredith Logan, who have represented the Sydney, N.S.-based university since Feb. 16, 2021, and Feb. 23, 2021, respectively. According to its registry file, CBU is seeking federal support for on-campus infrastructure projects. The university is also seeking federal funding for the development of a medical campus, which Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announced on Jan. 27. Skipworth plans to communicate with 13 government institutions, including the PMO, Finance, Environment, Immigration, Crown-Indigenous Relations, and Innovation, as well as with MPs and senators.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on April 6 at 9:01 a.m. ET.

New registrations

Reactivations

The Lobby Monitor will not publish on Fri. April 7, or Mon. April 10, due to the Easter long weekend. We will return to our regular publishing schedule on Tues. April 11. Have a safe and happy long weekend!