The Commissioner of Lobbying is concluding a public input period to determine whether changes to the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct are necessary.

From November 2 to December 11, 2020, Commissioner Nancy Belanger sought input from the public about its views and perspectives on the standards of behavior federal lobbyists should follow.

The Lobbyists Code of Conduct, which is a mandatory set of rules all registered consultant and in-house federal lobbyists must follow, was last amended in 2015.

The rules, while general in scope, include a focus on transparency, professionalism, and conflicts of interest. After input is received, the commissioner intends to create a summary of the responses and draft any amendments to the Code of Conduct. Any updated code will be referred to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

Depending on the degree of change contemplated by the commissioner, a further round of consultation may be initiated in 2021.