On October 15, the Canadian territory of Yukon’s new and first lobbying law came into force with the online Yukon Lobbyist Registry becoming live. Bill No. 23, the Lobbyists Registration Act, received Royal Assent on November 22, 2018, but only came into effect this year.

Consultant lobbyists and in-house lobbyists are required to register. Registration is required for individuals communicating with a public office holder, directly or through grassroots communications, in attempts to lobby. Additionally, a consultant lobbyist is required to register when arranging a meeting between a public office holder and any other person for the purposes covered by the Act.

There are two revolving door provisions in the Act. For the six-month period after ceasing to be in office, a former public office-holder is prohibited from lobbying as a consultant lobbyist, but he or she is not prohibited from immediately lobbying as an in-house lobbyist. Additionally, a consultant lobbyist is prohibited from becoming an employee of Yukon’s public service for six months after terminating her or her lobbyist registration. Penalties for violations of the Lobbyists Registration Act include fines up to $25,000 for the first violation and up to $100,000 for each subsequent violation.

As of October 16, the lobbyist registry does not have any registered lobbyists.

On October 26, federal by-elections in Canada will be held for the electoral district of York Centre (Ontario) and Toronto Centre (Ontario) to fill two vacancies in the House of Commons.

On August 24, Perrault had received official notice from the Speaker of the House of Commons that the seat for Toronto Centre (Ontario) became vacant following the resignation of Bill Morneau. Morneau resigned amid controversies dealing with his involvement with the WE Charity scandal.

On September 1, the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Stéphane Perrault, had received official notice from the Speaker of the House of Commons that the seat for York Centre (Ontario) became vacant following the resignation of Michael Levitt, who left his seat to become the CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies.

The Elections Canada offices in York Centre and Toronto Centre are expected to open soon, according to its press release. As a safety measure because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Elections Canada plans to implement physical distancing at polling places and Elections Canada offices.

The threshold for being required to register as an in-house lobbyist will soon be lower. Bill 195, The Lobbyists Amendment Act, 2019, which received Royal Assent this summer, will come into force once the order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council is given.

The bill reduces the threshold for registration as an in-house lobbyist from 100 to 30 hours; prohibits gifts to public office holders from lobbyists, except for gifts valued at less than $200 and that are given as an incident of the protocol or social obligations normally accompanying the duties or responsibilities of office of the public office holder; and grants power to the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations concerning gifts and personal benefits.

The bill outlines a gift or personal benefit to include: an amount of money, if there is no obligation to repay it; a service, hospitality or property, including the use of property, that is provided without charge or for a charge that is less than its commercial value; and any other prescribed gift or personal benefit.

Additionally, Bill 195 directs the Lobbying Act not apply when persons are acting in their official capacity as officers, directors or employees of a non-profit organization, association, society, coalition or interest group, any of which has both a charitable purpose and fewer than five employees, if the lobbying activity performed by the officers, directors and employees combined is less than 30 hours annually.

Sometime before February 28, 2021, a by-election will be announced for the seat in the House of Commons representing York Centre in the province of Ontario.

On September 1, the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Stéphane Perrault, received official notice from the Speaker of the House of Commons that the seat for York Centre (Ontario) became vacant following the resignation of Michael Levitt, who left his seat to become the CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies.

Under the law, the by-election date must be announced between September 12, 2020, and February 28, 2021, and will signal the start of the by-election period. According to Elections Canada, the earliest date the by-election can be held is October 19, 2020.

Sometime before February 20, 2021, a federal by-election will be announced for the seat in the House of Commons representing Toronto Centre in the province of Ontario.

On August 24, the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Stéphane Perrault, received official notice from the Speaker of the House of Commons that the seat for Toronto Centre (Ontario) became vacant following the resignation of Bill Morneau.

On August 17, amid controversies dealing with his involvement with the WE Charity scandal, Morneau resigned from his seat in the House of Commons and as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s finance minister. Morneau intends to seek the position of secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, according to CBC.ca.

Under the law, the by-election date must be announced between September 4, 2020, and February 20, 2021, and will signal the start of the by-election period. According to Elections Canada, the earliest date the by-election can be held is October 12, 2020.

On October 5, the city of Ottawa will hold a byelection to fill the municipal council seat left vacant by Stephen Blais.

The vacant Cumberland ward seat held by Blais, who left to serve as the Member of the Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Orléans, could have been filled by an appointment made by the council itself.

While Blais was elected as MPP in February, the council held off deciding about whether to have an election or make an appointment because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In July, the Ottawa Council agreed to allow voters the choice to fill the seat.

For the first time, electors will be allowed to apply to vote by special mail-in ballot should they feel uncomfortable about voting in person or be unable to make it to a voting location.

On June 10, the House of Commons will sit by order of a recall by the Speaker Anthony Rota, who issued the proclamation on June 8. Lawmakers are being recalled to consider a bill to enact certain measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The House had agreed to meet following the conclusion of the proceedings of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate, currently on an extended adjournment, is scheduled to next meet on June 16.

Since the start of safety measures to deal with the pandemic, the House and the Senate have been recalled under special standing orders for short one-day sessions.

On March 24, the Canadian House of Commons will reconvene for a one-day session to vote on legislation to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

Lawmakers are expected to allocate more than $80 billion in emergency aid for the nation.

The Canadian Senate is then expected to meet for a one-day session on March 25 to vote on that legislation.

On March 13, the Parliament had adjourned until at least April 20 because of the emerging health crisis.

After completing its legislative business today, the Parliament of Canada will adjourn until at least April 20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The political parties have agreed to the adjournment, according to Conservative House of Commons leader Mark Strahl.

“Members of Parliament are speaking with one voice today to say that we will do our part,” said MP Peter Julian on behalf of the New Democratic Party, according to Politico.

Additionally, on March 12, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, was diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus.

Even while adjourned, the government will still have the ability to allocate federal funds to try to stem the spread of the virus.

From February 26 at 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on February 27, there will be the statutory blackout on political advertising.

The blackout will be for the February 27 by-election being held for the Ontario Canada electoral districts of Orleans and Ottawa-Vanier.

On August 2, 2019, the Chief Electoral of Ontario received a notice of vacancy in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the electoral district of Ottawa-Vanier.

MPP Mona Fortier left her seat to become the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance.

On September 24, 2019, a second notice of vacancy in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario was received for the electoral district of Orleans.

MPP Marie-France Lalonde resigned from her seat to run for a seat in Canadian Parliament, which she won on October 21.

On January 29, 2020, the Office of Premier Doug Ford issued writs for the byelections to be held on February 17.

Elections Canada has published the federal contribution limits for the 2020 calendar year.

In 2020, individuals may contribute up to $1,625 to independent candidates, leadership candidates, registered parties, and to, In total, all of the registered associations, nomination contestants and candidates of each registered party.

The limits also apply to any unpaid balance of loans made during a contribution period and the amount of any loan guarantees made during a contribution period.

The limits increase annually by $25 on January 1.

In Ontario, individual contribution limits for the period from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, have be increased by $25, to $1,625.

This limit applies to contributions made as both money and goods or services given to a political party, candidate or constituency association to support the election of a candidate to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The contribution limit is applicable to both party and non-party candidates in a campaign period and applies to a leadership contestant of a party in a year holding a leadership contest or a calendar year during which the contestant is required to be registered.

Campaign contribution limits increased in British Columbia for 2020 to $1,253.15 for contributions to registered political parties, including their candidates, nomination contestants and registered constituency associations.

Additionally, individuals can contribute up to $1,253.15 to independent candidates and leadership contestants, if a leadership contest is called in 2020.

These limits are updated annually.

The previous limits were $1,225.17 in 2019, and $1,200 in 2018.

Also increased to $370 is the limit of a fee paid to attend a leadership convention or other convention of a political party without counting toward the $1,253.15 limit contribution limit.

On May 4, 2020, several key changes of British Columbia’s lobbying law come into effect, including changing the name of the Lobbyist Registration Act to the Lobbyist Transparency Act. The legislation making the changes, Bill 54, Lobbyists Registration Amendment Act, 2018, received royal assent on November 27, 2019.

Other coming changes include:

• Reducing the time threshold for requiring in-house lobbyists to register from 100 hours to 50 hours annually
• Adding the requirement for lobbyists to complete a monthly return containing details of actual lobbying activities in the previous month by the 15th of each subsequent month
• Declarations in those returns of what code of conduct the lobbyists has undertaken and where it is available for public viewing

Additionally, a newly enacted prohibition on gifts from lobbyists is included in the bill. However, the prohibition does not apply if the gift is given under the protocol or social obligations normally accompanying the duties of a public office holder and the total value of the gift given, directly or indirectly, is less $100 in a 12-month period.

Beginning in May, the registrar will also have the power to impose a prohibition on lobbying for up to 2 years.

Presently, a new online Lobbyists Registry is in development to replace the current Lobbyists Registry and is scheduled to launch on May 4, 2020.

Also effective on May 4, 2020, the Lobbyists Registration Regulation is repealed and the Lobbyist Transparency Regulation is enacted.