Evidence of meeting #20 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was lobbyists.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:40 p.m.
Conservative
12:40 p.m.
President, Public Affairs Association of Canada
Mr. Lemieux, I think both of your questions were bang on.
To your second point, and not to go far from what Jim was saying, I think our style of lobbying, certainly from the American style of lobbying, is totally different. I think the rules we put in place and the rules that are in place are things we support. We believe in that transparency and accountability.
I think certainly the federal commissioner and also the provincial and other ones we deal with have all opened up and they are receptive to changes. They understand that the first set of rules has to have some level of adjustment. I think they're listening to what we want to be able to do.
This process in and of itself is great. If you're getting into the lobbying profession, I think more and more folks are aware of the rules and the ramifications. They see the front page of The Globe and Mail when a lobbyist happens to be under investigation and what kind of effect that has on that person's career and reputation. Whether or not you're proven guilty or innocent at the time, it's quite profound. I think a lot of folks who want to get into the profession are starting to think about what could happen with them.
With regard to what Jim said, we're advising our lobbyists within our firm and our clients that if there's a risk, then register and be safe, and ensure they have a record of things so they don't get into trouble, not only for themselves but also for the public office holders. We're trying to do that.
12:40 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Let me just follow up on a point you made about Canadian lobbying versus U.S. lobbying. How would you differentiate between the two? How do you classify them?
12:40 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
It is also in their activities or their aggressiveness.
12:40 p.m.
President, Public Affairs Association of Canada
I think we'll all have a minute to say something on this.
I think with the grandiose American style of anything that happens, the influence on us is profound in some cases, and unfortunately in most cases. But with lobbying, the money in the U.S.—the retainer amounts, the success fees, the contingency fees—is beyond the pale, and I think it allows for people to be motivated or incented to do things that otherwise....
The fact that we don't have contingency fees or success fees here is a great thing. None of us ever complain about that. We're not here to benefit. If the client gets a certain issue resolved through government, as Mr. Del Mastro said, by and large it's the government that decides, or it's the opposition that decides. We just help to facilitate that meeting more than anything else and help with the strategy, I think, from that perspective. The American style is so much more focused on money.
12:40 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Jean Crowder
Thank you, Mr. Lemieux. Your time is up.
With the committee's indulgence, I have a brief question for a brief response, I'm hoping.
Mr. Jordan, when he came the other day, recommended that we might want to review the designated public office holder definition and suggested that we might want to go back to not having all members listed; we would just have former parliamentary secretaries and cabinet ministers. I just wondered if you had a comment on that.
12:40 p.m.
Treasurer, Government Relations Institute of Canada
Legislatively, politically, it's hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube. I think within the act, Parliament has given the commissioner the power to designate anyone a designated public office holder. You'd have to remove that and then run through a Governor-in-Council process of some sort. But none of us are holding our breath to see that change happen.
12:40 p.m.
President, Government Relations Institute of Canada
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
12:40 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Jean Crowder
I want to thank the witnesses very much for appearing before the committee. I think it was a very informative discussion. Some really good suggestions came up.
I'm going to suspend for two minutes, and then we have to go in camera to deal with some brief committee business.
[Proceedings continue in camera]