Here’s the news we covered this week:

The House ethics committee (also known as ETHI) has formally requested that Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger provide its members with the external legal opinion she commissioned  about her proposed update to the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct.. ETHI previously heard at a Feb. 3 meeting that Bélanger sought an external legal opinion from Goldblatt Partners LLP about the proposed code and how it complies with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The code’s potential effects on charter rights were also raised during appearances from organizations such as the Government Relations Institute of Canada, Public Affairs Association of Canada, and Canadian Labour Congress.

Stuart Barnable has joined Hill+Knowlton Strategies equipped with a deep understanding of the Red Chamber’s procedures. Barnable joined the company’s Ottawa office as a senior account director of public affairs after six years as chief of staff to Senate Speaker George Furey. The Senate is “far more involved in the legislative process than maybe it ever has been before,” Barnable said. “Having those resources, for a company like H+K, to be able to draw on the knowledge of the institution is really advantageous.”

The Breakfast Club of Canada submitted 49 of the 1,571 communication reports posted to the federal lobbyists’ registry last week. The organization co-ordinates free school breakfast programs across the country, and is represented on the registry by president and CEO Tommy Kulczyk. The Breakfast Club of Canada communicated with 33 members of the federal cabinet between Jan. 19 and Jan. 20, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller, and Treasury Board President Mona Fortier. It also communicated on Jan. 23 with Francis Drouin, parliamentary secretary to the agriculture minister; Greg Fergus, parliamentary secretary to the prime minister and to the Treasury Board president; and Rachel Bendayan, parliamentary secretary to the tourism minister.

In new registrations, the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, Inc. started its first registry file on Feb. 9. The Alexandria, Va.-based organization, which also goes by the name (ISC)², has hired consultant Isaac Crawford-Ritchie of Global Public Affairs to represent it in discussions with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Privy Council Office, National Defence, Global Affairs, Innovation, Finance, Employment, Public Safety, Public Services, Treasury Board, and Service Canada, as well as with MPs and senators. According to its registry file, (ISC)² wants to discuss policies and programs related to the education, training, upskilling, or certification of the cybersecurity workforce in Canada.

Also new to the registry is the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), which started its first file on Feb. 20 with consultant Isabel Metcalfe of Public Affairs Counsel. The institute hosts  citizenship ceremonies, and works to encourage newcomers to apply for citizenship in Canada. The ICC is seeking renewal of funding to support its existing programs, according to its registry file. Metcalfe plans to communicate with 18 government institutions, including the PMO, Global Affairs, Immigration, Finance, and Heritage, as well as with MPs and senators

William Pristanski of Prospectus Associates has added his name to the registry files of six separate airport authorities. Pristanski registered on Jan. 31 to represent the Calgary Airport Authority, Edmonton International Airport, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Ottawa International Airport Authority, Vancouver International Airport, and Winnipeg Airport Authority. He joins colleague Martin-Pierre Pelletier on each of the files. The Prospectus associates were hired to represent each airport authority in discussions about the possibility of providing access to duty-free stores to arriving passengers at Canadian airports. Pristanski plans to communicate with the PMO, Privy Council Office, Transport, Global Affairs, Innovation, the Canada Border Services Agency, and Canada Revenue Agency. He also plans to communicate with the regional economic development agencies relevant to each of the airport authorities.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Feb. 24 at 9:08 a.m. ET.

New registrations

Reactivations