Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank the witnesses for joining us today.
For the people tuning in, lobbying is an activity that involves approaching public officials, such as elected representatives or public servants, to influence their decisions, policies or legislation for the benefit of a group. That's the definition provided for “lobbying activities”.
I say this every time I meet with someone here. People are losing confidence in our institutions, as you said earlier, Ms. Bélanger.
Do you feel supported enough? I have another question coming up.
You said earlier that we used to be an international leader in lobbying, but that we're losing our status.
For how many years has Canada been losing its status as a leader?