Sixth, as a technical matter, we believe that the commissioner's current administrative review process should be enshrined in the act. Our submission lists a number of reasons why this amendment would improve the administration of justice.
Seventh, we believe that Parliament should follow the lead of those provincial legislatures that prohibit people from lobbying government at the same time as they have a contract to advise government on the same subject matter. Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Quebec have decided to prohibit this blatant conflict of interest. So should Canada.
Eighth, and finally, we note that the post-service lobbying restrictions for many public office holders are divided between the Lobbying Act, administered by the Commissioner of Lobbying, and the Conflict of Interest Act, administered by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The categories of office holders who are affected are different, the durations of the restrictions are different, and the restrictions themselves are different. We see merit in harmonizing the restrictions under one act or the other, though the CBA does not take a position as to which one.
In closing, we appreciate that this committee has heard from various stakeholder groups, including representatives of the professional lobbying industry. While many lawyers on occasion act as registered lobbyists, both as consultants or in-house, the CBA has sought to approach this review from a different perspective, namely, strengthening the administration of justice and upholding the rule of law. To that end, the members of our working group were chosen because of their collective experience and legal expertise in interpreting, applying, and advising on lobbying transparency legislation across Canada. We are therefore grateful for this opportunity.
We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you.