Thank you, Madam Chair.
My thanks to the members of the committee.
I appreciate this opportunity.
My name is Dan Hurley, and I am appearing today on behalf of the Public Affairs Association of Canada, PAAC. We are the national association representing public affairs, government relations and advocacy professionals across Canada. We have chapters in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
The Public Affairs Association of Canada welcomes this statutory review of the Lobbying Act. Our members strongly support its core objective: promoting transparency, ethical conduct and public confidence in federal decision-making.
Our message today is straightforward: Transparency is best served when the act is clear, proportionate, modern and predictable in its application.
PAAC represents consultant lobbyists and in-house practitioners working in the public and private sectors with non-profits, unions, and professional and industry associations. Many of our members engage with federal and provincial lobbying acts regularly and are committed to full compliance.
To inform our decision, PAAC conducted a confidential survey of members with direct experience under the federal Lobbying Act and other acts. While not statistically representative, it provides practical insight into how the act operates day to day.
Several themes emerged. First, there is strong support for transparency. Respondents consistently agreed that disclosure of lobbying activity is essential to maintaining trust in federal institutions.
At the same time, respondents highlighted ongoing ambiguity in key statutory concepts, including “significant part of the duties”, “arranged communication” and “grass-roots” lobbying, which can lead to inconsistent interpretation and compliance risk.
Respondents also raised concerns about proportionality. Certain reporting requirements, including monthly communication reports, can be administratively burdensome without always delivering the commensurate transparency benefits, particularly for smaller and non-profit organizations.
Some members also warned of a potential chilling effect where uncertainty or expanded obligations may discourage engagement with government or deter volunteer participation in governance roles.
Finally, respondents pointed to a disconnect between the act and modern practice, given the routine use of virtual meetings and digital communications.
Based on this feedback, PAAC recommends clarifying key definitions, modernizing the act to reflect current communication practices, reassessing proportionality and emphasizing substantive transparency over technical errors, aligning statute and guidance, and focusing enforcement on unregistered or bad-faith lobbying.
In closing, PAAC thanks the committee for its leadership. We believe the Lobbying Act can be strengthened in a way that enhances transparency while supporting responsible and inclusive participation in Canada's democratic process.
Thank you.
I look forward to your questions.