Evidence of meeting #7 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was lobbying.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Gurbux Saini Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
In June, you announced that you would like to have a youth wing in your group. Why is that important, and is it going to incur additional expenses for your office?
Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioners of Canada
I'm sorry. I didn't hear the end of your question.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
We're over the time. I'm going to give Mr. Saini one more chance to ask the question, but I need a very quick response, Mr. Dufresne.
Liberal
Gurbux Saini Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
In June, you asked for the creation of an Office of the Privacy Commissioner advisory council for Canada's youth. Why is it important? Is it going to incur additional expenses for your office?
Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioners of Canada
Not significantly, no. It's important because we need to hear the voice of youth.
Children's privacy is one of my priorities. I need their perspective. I need to understand their reality, and that's what this council is going to give me.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Mr. Saini.
Thank you, Mr. Dufresne. That concludes our first hour.
Philippe, I want to thank you so much for being here. It was an interesting and fascinating discussion. You have lots of work ahead of you, and you certainly need the support of Parliament to do your work. I appreciate all you do to keep Canadians' privacy private.
Thank you, sir, and thank you to your staff as well.
We're going to suspend for a couple of minutes. Then we're going to have with us Nancy Bélanger, the lobbying commissioner.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Welcome back, everyone. We're going to start the second hour.
I'd like to welcome our witness for the second hour today.
From the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying, we have with us Nancy Bélanger, who is the Commissioner of Lobbying.
Ms. Bélanger, welcome back to committee. It has been a while, almost a year, and I'm sure you'll talk about the things you would like to see with respect to the act and everything we've been hearing about for the past couple of years.
Please go ahead. You have five minutes to address the committee.
Nancy Bélanger Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
Thank you so much.
Good afternoon Mr. Chair and committee members.
Thank you for the invitation. I am very pleased to meet a number of you for the first time and to speak to you about the work done by my office.
The Lobbying Act requires that I maintain the Registry of Lobbyists, that I expand awareness and understanding of the lobbying regime through education and that I conduct compliance work that supports respect of the act and the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct. The preamble of the act recognizes that lobbying is a legitimate activity and that Canadians should know who is engaged in lobbying with federal public officer holders and about what subject.
Allow me to present you with an overview of the office’s work.
The number of registrations and lobbyists continues to grow each year. During 2024–2025, over 8,800 lobbyists were registered with over 6,000 active registrations at any given time. Communication reports for oral and arranged lobbying of designated public office holders reached just over 31,000 last year. As of September 30, 2025, there are just under 12,000 communications reported.
Last year we delivered over 120 presentations. To date, this year, we have already delivered over 65 presentations. In our advisory role, we responded to over 6,000 requests last year. To date, in the current fiscal year, we have responded to almost 3,000 requests.
On the compliance front, we are currently advancing on 31 files, while 4 suspended files are with the RCMP. When I have reasonable grounds to believe an offence has occurred, I am required to suspend my investigation and refer the matter to a peace officer. For investigations conducted under the code, I am required, once I conclude an investigation, to report my findings to Parliament. As you are aware, the act imposes strict confidentiality requirements, and I cannot, therefore, discuss the specifics of these matters.
Let me now turn to my office's current priorities. I have recently issued an interpretation bulletin with respect to the significant part of the duties registration threshold for organizations and corporations. This will reduce the registration threshold from 32 hours in a four-week period to eight in that same period, and it will take effect on January 19, 2026.
I've also issued interpretation with respect to the five-year restriction on lobbying for former designated public office holders. As you know, the act completely prohibits former DPOHs from doing any lobbying during a five-year period, both as a consultant for a client and as an employee for an organization. However, the act allows former DPOHs to lobby as an employee of a corporation, as long as the lobbying is not a significant part of the individual's work.
Similar to the new registration threshold, this interpretation sets out that a former DPOH employed by a corporation cannot reach or exceed eight hours of lobbying in any four consecutive weeks.
Accordingly, our priority is to ensure that organizations and corporations understand the new threshold so that they can be compliant with the act, as well as to ensure that employees who lobby on their behalf understand the ethical standards set out in the code. We will also be supporting former designated public office holders to ensure their compliance with the requirements of the act.
I am pleased that this committee intends to study the Lobbying Act and propose updates, as outlined in the motion passed on September 17. Some of you have heard me say numerous times that an update of the act is long overdue. It is my hope that the study will proceed, and I look forward to supporting this committee in this work to identify important legislative and regulatory amendments.
We deliver on our mandate and fulfill our corporate functions, including meeting extensive government-wide reporting requirements through the invaluable work of a small number of employees—approximately 35 staff positions.
The total annual budget for this current fiscal year is approximately $6.4 million. Roughly $4.9 million goes to salary and benefits, leaving an operating budget of $1.5 million. About $700,000 of that operating budget is spent on obtaining services from other government organizations, including services related to HR, finance, procurement and IT. The remaining $800,000 is used for goods and services, with continually increasing costs, particularly related to essential IT infrastructure.
I'd like to conclude by thanking each and every employee of the office. I am proud that a recent media article about the public service employee survey noted that our office ranked as one of only two organizations with 100% of employees responding that their office is a great place to work. I am equally delighted that 100% of our employees responded that they're treated with respect. Indeed, our results in all categories of the survey are impressive.
These accomplishments can only be achieved because of each employee’s dedication, professionalism and excellence in delivering on our mandate. For this I am extremely grateful to each of them.
Mr. Chair and committee members, thank you and I welcome your questions.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Ms. Bélanger.
What would an appearance before the ethics committee be without a request for a legislative review of the Lobbying Act? We hear it every time you're here. Thank you.
Mr. Barrett, you're going to start us off for six minutes. Go ahead, sir.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON
Good afternoon.
Has there been a change in the number of investigations that you've suspended, having referred them to the RCMP? You said that the number is four. Is that a revised number since your last appearance before our committee?
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
Yes, it is; I believe I sent two in the last.... One was before the end of March, and one was this summer. That's an additional two.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON
Okay. So, there are two rested with their office and two additional.
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
There are two additional since the last time I appeared, yes.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON
Okay.
I would be remiss if I didn't ask if you are able to share any details about the files that you've referred to the RCMP.
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
Unfortunately, I can't, no.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON
Okay. Thank you.
There have been reports that the Prime Minister has met with corporate leaders whose firms are actively engaged with government. Would you consider those kinds of meetings the type that would raise transparency concerns in your office with respect to lobbying?
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
Well, according to the Lobbying Act, every meeting that occurs between corporations about topics that are registerable—whether it's about policies, programs or financial benefits—would have registerable subject matter. Obviously, it depends on whether they meet the current 32-hour threshold, but yes, if the topics are registerable according to the act, then the meetings would need to be registered.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON
There were, for example, media reports late last week. I think there was a list of individuals from organizations who had met with the Prime Minister. Would those all be registerable meetings?
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
They would be registerable if they met the threshold.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON
Which is currently...?
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
It is 32 hours, but it's changing in January.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON
It's changing in January.
You've said previously that transparency is the foundation for public trust. When someone with substantial private holdings provides policy advice to government and cabinet, but they're paid to do it, is it still lobbying in spirit, even if it's not contrary to the law?
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
If I understand the question correctly, if someone is paid to lobby, then that's a registerable subject matter. I didn't fully understand the last part, that it would be not in spirit. I'm not sure. If someone is being paid to lobby and it's about policy development, then that's a registerable subject matter, yes.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON
If someone is an executive with an organization and has substantial financial holdings in addition to their corporate role but is brought in to advise government in a non-paid advisory role, is that not a violation in spirit of what we're trying to do with the act?
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
Currently, the Lobbying Act requires payment. That is one topic that I would love to discuss with you during a legislative review.
In the Yukon, they've added the concept of a “directing mind”, where they do not require payment. That is definitely something I will want to discuss.
If somebody's not getting paid to provide the advice, the act does not apply currently.