Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada Presents Lawmakers With Recommendations

On March 9, the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada, Nancy Bélanger, presented recommendations to lawmakers concerning the country’s lobbying laws and regulations. Bélanger appeared before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) of the Canadian House of Commons. Among Bélanger’s recommendations are clarification of who qualifies as in-house lobbyists; disclosure of all employees who lobby for their employer; disclosure of all funding provided to support lobbying activities; and disclosure of all entities that control and have a direct interest in the outcome of the lobbying. On February 12, the Canadian House of Commons had ordered ETHI to review the nation’s lobbying law. The law itself requires a comprehensive review of the provisions and operations of the law to be taken every five years. Within a year after the committee’s review is undertaken, the ETHI must submit a report on the review to parliament that includes a statement of any changes to the Lobbying Act or its operation that the committee recommends.

Want to keep up with lobbying, procurement, and corporate contribution compliance internationally? We have you covered. Learn more here.