ETHI meeting 7 · 2025-10-06 — Committee Evidence — LegisWatch

Summary

The committee met to study the work of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Commissioner of Lobbying. Appearing were Philippe Dufresne, Privacy Commissioner of Canada, and Nancy Bélanger, Commissioner of Lobbying.

Philippe Dufresne stated that Canada’s privacy laws are outdated and need modernization, including adding criteria of necessity and proportionality and granting his office order-making and fining powers. He noted that his office is underfunded, with temporary funding set to expire in 2026, and that resources have not kept pace with rising complaints and technological change. On Bill C-8 and Bill C-2, he said he would provide formal recommendations when called, but flagged that warrantless access to subscriber data on mere suspicion raises privacy concerns and that the standard should be reasonable belief for sensitive information. He recommended earlier consultation on legislation and mandatory privacy impact assessments. He highlighted international collaboration, including a joint TikTok investigation and his election as chair of the Global Privacy Assembly, and said a youth advisory council would help inform his work on children’s privacy.

Nancy Bélanger said the Lobbying Act is long overdue for review, having last been studied in 2012, and identified three urgent priorities: registration-by-default rather than a threshold, a broader range of sanctions beyond referring all offences to the RCMP, and mandatory reporting of all communications, not just oral and arranged ones. She noted that her office has 35 staff and a $6.4 million budget, and that she cannot hire more due to operating cost pressures. She lowered the registration threshold from 32 hours to eight hours in a four-week period, effective January 2026, but said the act should set it at zero. She confirmed that unpaid individuals providing policy advice are not covered by the act, calling this a loophole. She said Canada has fallen behind other jurisdictions, particularly British Columbia, and recommended the committee hear from provincial counterparts, the RCMP, and the OECD.

On procedural matters, the committee briefly addressed an interpretation issue before continuing with questions. No motions or votes were recorded.

AI-generated summary — may contain errors; verify against the official evidence.

Witnesses · 2

Philippe Dufresne

Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioners of Canada

Opening remarks

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, members of the committee, for the invitation to appear before you to discuss the work of my office and the importance of prioritizing privacy. As Privacy Commissioner of Canada, my mission is to protect and promote individuals’ fundamental right to privacy. This includes overseeing compliance with both the Privacy Act, which applies to federal institutions, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA, Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law. At a time when more personal data is being collected and shared than ever before, often across borders, this is an essential mandate for Canadians. From the moment that we start our day and check our phones until the time that we wind down by streaming music or a favourite show, our personal data is being sought. New technologies bring new opportunities to connect, to create and to innovate. For organizations, personal information can be used to offer tailored services, refine operations and evaluate results, but this also brings risks to our privacy. It is a different reality from that of just a decade ago. Canada's privacy laws and even my office were designed in…

Full testimony ↗

Nancy Bélanger

Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying

Opening remarks

Thank you so much. Good afternoon Mr. Chair and committee members. Thank you for the invitation. I am very pleased to meet a number of you for the first time and to speak to you about the work done by my office. The Lobbying Act requires that I maintain the Registry of Lobbyists, that I expand awareness and understanding of the lobbying regime through education and that I conduct compliance work that supports respect of the act and the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct. The preamble of the act recognizes that lobbying is a legitimate activity and that Canadians should know who is engaged in lobbying with federal public officer holders and about what subject. Allow me to present you with an overview of the office’s work. The number of registrations and lobbyists continues to grow each year. During 2024–2025, over 8,800 lobbyists were registered with over 6,000 active registrations at any given time. Communication reports for oral and arranged lobbying of designated public office holders reached just over 31,000 last year. As of September 30, 2025, there are just under 12,000 communications reported. Last year we delivered over 120 presentations. To date, this year, we have already…

Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

Summary

Witnesses · 2

Bills mentioned