The Hill Times’ Top 100 Lobbyists in 2024: looming federal election and lingering virtual comms contribute to dynamic advocacy
Broad cross-party outreach, convincing decision-makers that issues are important to them, and being brief are all key to great government relations, say lobbyists.
It’s time the government kicks Big Oil out of the climate conversation
Not all lobbying is the same. The oil and gas industry still has an outsized influence on climate policy in Canada.
Lobbyists prepping clients for possible federal election shakeup, and a Conservative government
Policies that are being enacted and money that’s being spent could be reversed by a Conservative government, warns a senior consultant at Summa Strategies.
Taiwanese envoy warns against banning MPs’ sponsored travel, but former Harper-era minister Kent says MPs should not accept ‘large gifts’
Former minister Peter Kent says MPs accepting free travel is a ‘huge contradiction’ in ethics rules, while Taiwan’s top diplomat Harry Ho-jen Tseng says he’s unsure if MPs would willing pay their own way to visit Taiwan if the trips aren’t sponsored.
Missions abroad cannot be abandoned
Canadian leaders need to bear first-hand witness to create coherent policy, and if we need to find a new, transparent way to make that happen, so be it.
MPs’ sponsored travel back in spotlight as House Ethics Committee, NDP MP Green call for complete ban
NDP MP Matthew Green said an outright ban on accepting sponsored travel would help parliamentarians ‘move beyond the political ambulance-chasing’ over the practice, amid a committee study into Justin Trudeau’s Jamaica vacation.
Procurement ombud’s report reveals discrepancies in ArriveCan’s $54-million contract
Mandatory criteria used in ArriveCan application procurement were ‘overly restrictive’ and ‘favoured’ GC Strategies Inc. as an existing CBSA supplier, which led to the awarding of a $25-million contract to the company in the centre of misconduct allegations.
Release of records on appointment of interim ethics commissioner likely to be delayed until June
Selection process for ethics commissioners ‘needs to be more independent,’ says York University assistant professor in Canadian public law Ian Stedman.
Environment advocacy dominates in record-breaking 2023 for lobbying
Draft regulations of the Liberal government’s oil and gas emissions cap are expected to be published in mid-2024.
High prices, lack of charging infrastructure must be addressed to accommodate 100 per cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, say auto industry reps
Federal government programs to close the price gap between electric vehicles and gas-powered vehicles are a start, but don’t go far enough, according to Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association.
