Information & Ethics committee  That is part of our plans. We have to find out where the shortcomings are, who we should contact, and how to proceed. We're prioritizing that, because, as I said, we're short on resources. At the moment, we rely a lot on what is happening in the media and the allegations we receive.

Information & Ethics committee  That's right. The problem is what I don't know.

Information & Ethics committee  The 2021-22 consultations dealt with the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct, because I felt that it had shortcomings. When I decided to hold the first consultation, in 2020, it had already been in force for five years. I also had the opportunity to table reports in Parliament, in which I was able to identify these shortcomings.

Information & Ethics committee  I have to say that I was extremely impressed by how our team responded. For the most part, it was because we were already equipped. We had just moved into a new location, in May 2019, fully “3.0”, I'll call it. As far as I'm concerned, we had all the tools to be able to do our work remotely.

Information & Ethics committee  I really am.

Information & Ethics committee  I asked everyone to come back one day a week as of the beginning of April. It's been wonderful. People are getting to connect. We had hired three people, I think, during the pandemic who were supervising others and had never met in person, so that's been a very good thing. I'm in the office pretty much every day.

Information & Ethics committee  There are 11 recommendations. I tabled a report to this committee in February 2021. Those 11 recommendations are preliminary. They're really to enhance transparency and fix the gaps. They're all important. I don't believe in band-aids. I think we need to have an integrated approach to changes to the Lobbying Act.

Information & Ethics committee  For certain, the significant part of duty threshold is difficult for organizations and corporations to figure out. It's about 30 hours in a month, cumulative, of all their employees who do lobbying. It's hard for them, especially for organizations that are spread across the country.

Information & Ethics committee  First of all, we deal with stakeholders on a daily basis, so those who want to register, or think they need to register, are calling us regularly. In the last year, I think we had 5,000 emails and phone calls to get help to register. With respect to awareness, we're actually going to be working on a stakeholder engagement plan in this coming year.

Information & Ethics committee  Not in the oral communications. With respect to the subject matter, health had never really been in the top two or three, and obviously it became the top two or three. Economic development was always in the top four or five, but it became the top one or two. There was a trend in subject matter and a trend in, obviously, oral and arranged communications.

Information & Ethics committee  First of all, Canada is a big country. There is lobbying happening in all of your constituencies, so I'm relying on you to help me in that area. For sure, we do have work to do in getting out there in the community, but apart from the fact that we continue to.... We do issue products.

Information & Ethics committee  I could be very quick: It definitely increased. Monthly communication reports before the pandemic were about 18,000 for the year—mind you, it was an election year. During the pandemic, there were 28,000 oral communications. That, in and of itself, was an increase. We saw an increase of active registrations.

Information & Ethics committee  Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and committee members. I am very pleased to be here today to meet many of you for the first time and to speak to you about the work of the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying. The Lobbying Act recognizes that lobbying is a legitimate activity that should be transparent.

Information & Ethics committee  If a lobbyist takes the time to lobby you during that event in the evening, they should have an obligation to put in the registry that they lobbied you.

Information & Ethics committee  I'm sure they were, but....