The committee was studying the statutory review of the Lobbying Act, hearing from Ian Stedman, an associate professor at York University; Professor Lori Turnbull of Dalhousie University; and Inspector Frédéric Pincince of the RCMP.
Ian Stedman recommended doing away with the "significant part of duties" threshold for registration, arguing the focus should be on who is influencing decisions rather than who is paid or how much time they spend. He supported capturing impromptu communications and expanding the definition of designated public office holders, and urged the committee to consider giving the commissioner a range of additional compliance measures such as administrative monetary penalties or temporary lobbying bans, drawing on Ontario's model where ethics, lobbying and whistle-blowing are under one roof. He disagreed with arguments that default registration would create an undue administrative burden, calling such concerns a sign that the person is likely doing a lot of lobbying.
Professor Lori Turnbull strongly supported the commissioner's recommendation for registration by default, saying it would eliminate subjective judgments about whether lobbying is a "significant part of duties" and enhance transparency without suppressing legitimate activity. She also agreed that monthly reports should include all communications, not just those arranged in advance. She raised concerns about the current period of public service cuts and recruitment from the financial sector, warning that if people brought in for their expertise are not captured by post-employment rules, it could create a perception of a revolving door and undermine confidence in the ethics regime.
Inspector Frédéric Pincince explained that the RCMP investigates referrals from the Commissioner of Lobbying when there are reasonable grounds to believe an offence has occurred, but noted that concepts like "significant part of duties" are difficult to quantify in court because interpretation bulletins are not binding statutory instruments. He stated that of 24 investigations since 2010, only two led to charges, with others closed due to insufficient evidence, and that the RCMP cannot share details of active investigations. He suggested that giving the commissioner more compliance tools, such as administrative monetary penalties for minor infractions, could allow the RCMP to focus on more serious criminal matters, and noted that information-sharing between offices would need to respect privacy and access laws.
The committee's questions and exchanges with witnesses covered a range of topics, including whether advising the Prime Minister while holding private investments could constitute lobbying, the need for transparency around government contracts and the Major Projects Office, the role of blind trusts, and the challenges of investigating undocumented lobbying or foreign influence. No procedural debate, motions or votes occurred during this meeting.
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