Here’s a rundown of the news we covered this week:

The University of Saskatchewan (U of S) was the most active lobby group on Parliament Hill in September with 19 communication reports filed. U of S is represented on the federal lobbyists’ registry by its president and vice-chancellor Peter Stoicheff. It has many discussion topics listed on its file, including requests for federal funding to support infrastructure projects, internships and research and development.

September reached a new low in the overall amount of federal lobbying activity with 422 communication reports filed that month. The most lobbied government institution in September was Global Affairs, which was listed in 48 communication reports.

Omar Khan has become the new national cannabis sector lead at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, taking over from Ivan Ross Vrána. Khan moved into the role from his former position with the firm as its vice-president of marketing and business development. He talked to The Lobby Monitor about how building a brand presence is becoming a higher priority in the cannabis sector, compared to the early days in the industry when cultivation and production was the priority.

Vrána is still working for Hill+Knowlton as an associate, but he is also currently the vice-president of government relations and business development for Eve & Co., a cannabis company in southwestern Ontario.

A look at the communication reports posted on the federal lobbyists’ registry between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 showed the single most active group was Humanity & Inclusion (HI) Canada, which posted 14. HI Canada is represented on the Hill by Jérôme Bobin, the organization’s general manager. 

The organization issued a call in September for Canadians to mobilize in urging federal party leaders to take action to prevent the bombing of civilians in armed conflict situations. This was in advance of an international conference held Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 in Vienna, Austria to address that topic.

In new registrations, the Internet Society of Canada Chapter (ISCC) started its first file on the registry Oct. 11 to discuss a cybersecurity project it has proposed to address the security challenges of the internet of things (IoT).

IoT is the concept of connecting everyday objects to the internet so they can send and receive data. The ISCC would like to discuss best practices to protect IoT devices from security threats.

The file was started with Jeremy Depow, a special adviser to the organization. Franca Palazzo, ISCC’s executive director, was added on Oct. 15.

Depow and Palazzo will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Public Safety Canada, National Defence, Innovation, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

The North Saskatoon Business Association (NSBA) is new on the registry with a file started Sept. 30 with its executive director Keith Moen. The NSBA, which represents more than 700 businesses in Saskatoon, Sask., is interested in speaking to the federal government about its opposition to the federal carbon tax. The organization is also interested in offering suggestions for next year’s federal budget, according to the registry.

Moen will communicate with the PMO, senators and MPs.

Equal Voice has increased its representation on the Hill by adding consultant Nicholas Schiavo of Impact Public Affairs to its file on Sept. 25.

Schiavo joins his colleague Catherine Fortin LeFaivre on the file.

Equal Voice is an organization that attempts to facilitate the greater inclusion of women in the political world. It is interested in speaking to MPs, senators, and officials from the department of Women and Gender Equality about the issues surrounding women’s involvement in politics, according to the registry.
 

New registry files posted between 2019-10-14 and 2019-10-18

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Oct. 18 at 9:00 a.m.
 

New registrations posted between 2019-10-14 and 2019-10-18

Reactivations posted between 2019-10-14 and 2019-10-18

Here’s a look back at news we covered this week:

Activists representing the autism community appeared on Parliament Hill today, issuing a call to the federal parties for development of a national autism strategy.

Andrew Kavchak, a retired federal civil servant and a parent of a child with autism, spoke at a press conference where he said that a major component of any autism strategy must include federal health funding for treatment.

The press conference was followed by a rally on Parliament Hill.

The Lobby Monitor produced a policy map, which took a closer look at the groups on the Hill talking about vaping and e-cigarettes. There are seven organizations with active files related to vaping. Within the last six months, lobbying activity by those groups was highest in June.

Public concern about the potential health impacts related to vaping has been on the rise in the last several months, with more than 1,000 reported vaping-related illnesses from the U.S. since March. The first confirmed case in Canada was announced on Sept. 27.

In “On Queen Street” news, Norm Kelly, a former politician who is known on social media as the “6 Dad,” joined Hill+Knowlton Strategies as an associate.

After more than 36 years serving Toronto as a city councillor and deputy mayor, Kelly is now assisting Hill+Knowlton clients as a part of the firm’s municipal public affairs team.

Kelly’s prominence on Twitter surged in 2015 when he supported Canadian rapper Drake during an online feud with American rapper Meek Mill. Today, Kelly has more than 700,000 online followers.

David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, is arguing that Canada’s democratic institutions are at risk of being influenced by foreign governments. He suggested to The Lobby Monitor that Canada could minimize that risk through stronger rules for lobbyists and advocates in the public political space that would increase transparency.

Mulroney is advocating for a registry where former public office holders would be required to disclose any activities for which they are paid by foreign political entities.

In new registrations, broadcaster and philanthropist Evan Kosiner registered on the federal lobbyists’ registry for the first time on Sept. 24. Kosiner, whose career includes the launch of a Canadian specialty-shopping channel in 2014, is interested in speaking with the federal government about a possible broadcast service to assist visually impaired people.

He will be communicating with the CBC, Canadian Heritage and the CRTC about using a section of the Broadcast Act to require SiriusXM Canada to carry an audio-based radio guide that would provide visually impaired people with audible information about song titles and artists.

Saint-Augustin Canada Electric (STACE) registered for the first time on Oct. 1 with consultant Marc Desmarais of National Public Relations to discuss the impact of an importation tax on solar panels.

The company, based in Quebec, is a manufacturer of phase bus ducts, which are an alternative to power cables.

Desmarais will communicate with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Infrastructure, Finance, the Canada Border Services Agency, and MPs.

After a 14-year absence, the Métis Settlements General Council (MSGC) returned to the registry with a file started on Sept. 27 with consultant Lisa Samson of StrategyCorp.

Samson’s colleagues Troy Sherman, Conal Slobodin and Andrew Steele were soon added on Sept. 30.

The MSGC, the governing authority of the eight Métis settlements in Alberta, is interested in talking to the federal government about the 2016 Supreme Court ruling in the Daniels v. Canada case. That ruling laid out that Métis and non-status Indians are considered “Indians” under the Constitution Act of 1867.

The StrategyCorp consultants will communicate with the Privy Council Office, Indigenous Services Canada, and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

Editor's note: The Lobby Monitor will be closed October 14, 2019, for Thanksgiving. Publishing will resume October 15, 2019. We wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend.

New registry files posted between 2019-10-06 and 2019-10-10

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Oct. 10 at 9:30 a.m.
 

New registrations posted between 2019-10-06 and 2019-10-10