New registry in place as lobbyists wait for chance to contact new P.E.I. government

As P.E.I. prepares for a change in government, possibly as early as Thursday, Islanders are getting their first look at who's lining up to try to influence incoming MLAs.

P.E.I.'s lobbyist registry came into effect April 1, making P.E.I. the last province in Canada to require professional lobbyists to register with government.

As of May 3 there were just 16 registered lobbyists representing organizations ranging from the Canadian Cancer Society to the Insurance Bureau of Canada to drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (which has two lobbyists on the list).

"It'll be interesting to see. It'll be the first time that Islanders will be able to have a clear window, through the registry, on lobbying activity," said Steve Dowling, registrar for P.E.I.'s lobbyist registry.

Serves the public interest

"There's a public interest in knowing who is being paid to try to influence government policy and decision-making … so the public has a much more transparent view of what's going on with that conversation," Dowling said.

While Islanders can see who has registered as a lobbyist, they won't see if, when, or how many times those lobbyists have met with MLAs or government staff.

Unlike the federal lobbyist registry, which includes information on contact between lobbyists and MPs, P.E.I.'s registry doesn't include that information.

P.E.I.'s Lobbyist Registration Act requires lobbyists register as consultants if they're paid to lobby on behalf of a third party.

It also requires employees of an organization to register as in-house lobbyists if they spend 50 hours over a three-month period lobbying on behalf of their employer.

Lobbying work by any other employees with the same firm also counts toward the 50-hour threshold that triggers the requirement for registration.

Erin McGrath-Gaudet, with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, is one of the registered lobbyists waiting for a chance to meet with members of P.E.I's new government and legislative assembly once MLAs are sworn in.

Sitting down with new ministers

"For me, first order of business is really going to be to sit down with the new cabinet ministers and critics once they're settled in a little bit, and just kind of keep them up to speed in terms of what our priorities are," said McGrath-Gaudet.

"What we're looking for in terms of legislation that's coming down the line, any priorities we have for action."

If there is something [government] is looking to implement they know that they have us as an evidence-based research organization on those issues that they can reach out to for a partnership.— Jayna Stokes, Canadian Cancer Society

She said the new registry will provide Islanders with more transparency in terms of who's trying to influence government policy — particularly with regards to those who are doing so out of public view.

The registry requires lobbyists identify which government departments and agencies they'll be contacting, what type of contact will take place, and what issues they'll focus on.

Cancer Society sees benefits

According to the registry, Jayna Stokes is registered to lobby on behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society on issues including health, cannabis, the environment and taxation.

Stokes said it will help the society to be on the public record as an advocate on those issues "so that if there is something [government] is looking to implement they know that they have us as an evidence-based research organization on those issues that they can reach out to for a partnership."

'Huge loopholes,' says group

Duff Conacher, of the group Democracy Watch, has been critical of P.E.I.'s lobbyist registry and of registries in other provinces. "Only some lobbyists have to register and disclose their lobbying because of huge loopholes in the law," he said.

Conacher said P.E.I.'s registry allows lobbying to remain undisclosed if it's on the enforcement of a law, if the lobbyist is only doing that work part-time or if they're not paid for their lobbying efforts. It also doesn't require registration if contact is initiated by government instead of the lobbyist.

"Any loophole that allows for secret lobbying will be exploited by those who want to do their lobbying in secret," Conacher said.

"It's a baby step forward, but no one should be fooled.... It's a registry of some lobbying, the lobbying that both lobbyists and the government feel comfortable letting the public know about. But secret lobbying will be happening, and it will be happening in those cases where they want to hide it from the public."

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