Actually, the idea of paying for access to a minister or a politician is not at all covered in the Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Act. It would more likely be in the purview of my colleague the Ethics Commissioner.
In Quebec, the question is whether the person who attends the cocktail party is going to try to influence a public office holder's decision. If so, it's potentially a lobbying activity. If the criteria are met, there must be an entry in the lobbyists' registry. It's as simple as that.
The circumstances really have no relevance, much like the way of approaching people and the nature of the communications. What is important is the attempt to influence the decision of a public office holder, but the concept of influence does not seem to exist in the federal legislation.