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Section I — Departmental Overview

Registrar's Message

Michael Nelson, Registrar of Lobbyists

The plans and priorities described in this document have been developed in anticipation of the Lobbying Act coming into force during the planning period. The Lobbying Act replaces the Lobbyists Registration Act and will include:

  • an independent Commissioner of Lobbying with a strong mandate to investigate violations of the Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct;
  • a five-year ban on lobbying for ministers, ministerial staff, and senior public servants after they leave office, as well as for members of Prime Ministers' transition teams;
  • a ban on the payment and receipt of success or contingency fees;
  • requirements that contacts with certain designated public office holders be recorded; and
  • a longer period during which lobbying violations may be investigated and prosecuted.

Work to prepare for and implement these and other changes brought by the Federal Accountability Act has been included in each of the three priority areas for the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists (Office) during the planning period.

The Registry of Lobbyists is our principal instrument of transparency. Accessible over the Internet, it is well-known and well-used by lobbyists, journalists, public office holders, citizens and others. During 2007-2008, changes were made to the Lobbyists Registration System (LRS) that will permit the Registry to accommodate the increased disclosure requirements of the Lobbying Act. Improvements to the LRS will continue throughout the planning period.

Promoting awareness of the Lobbying Act will be key to compliance. The Commissioner of Lobbying will have an explicit mandate to develop and implement educational programs to foster awareness of the requirements of the Lobbying Act. As a first step in fulfilling this mandate, awareness and training materials will be developed for distribution prior to the coming-into-force of the Lobbying Act, and will be made widely available through the website of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists.

The review and investigation workload of the Office has grown over the past three years as our monitoring capacity improved and awareness of our determination to pursue breaches of the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct increased. We expect further growth in this area with the greater investigative powers of the Commissioner of Lobbying. In addition, there will be a requirement for enhanced investigative capacity in relation to the Commissioner's new power under the Lobbying Act to grant exemptions to the five-year, post-employment ban on lobbying. The Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists will request additional resources to deal with this workload in the Main Estimates submission for 2008-2009.

I am confident that the work set out in this report will contribute substantially to ensuring that the intent of Parliament in enacting the Lobbying Act is respected.

Michael Nelson
Registrar of Lobbyists

Management Representation Statement

I submit for tabling in Parliament the 2008-2009 Report on Plans and Priorities for the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists.

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in the Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the 2008-2009 Estimates: Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports:

  • it adheres to the specific reporting requirements outlined in the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat guidance;
  • it is based on the department's strategic outcome and program activities that were approved by the Treasury Board;
  • it presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced and reliable information;
  • it provides a basis of accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities entrusted to it; and
  • it reports finances based on approved planned spending numbers from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Michael Nelson
Registrar of Lobbyists

Raison d'être

The mandate of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists is derived from the Lobbyists Registration Act (www.orl-bdl.gc.ca). Its purpose is to ensure transparency and accountability in the lobbying of public office holders with a view to contributing to confidence in the integrity of government decision-making.

Organizational Information

The Management Team

Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists Management Team Director of Investigations and Deputy Registrar Director of Operations Registrar of Lobbyists

The Registrar is ultimately accountable for the work carried out by the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists (ORL). The Director of Operations is responsible for the work carried out in the registration process, both paper and web-based. The Director of Investigations is responsible for the work carried out in the enforcement of the Lobbyists Registration Act (Act) and Lobbyists' Code of Conduct (Code) and the functions of Deputy Registrar.

The ORL obtains some of its corporate services through memoranda of understanding with Industry Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, Public Works and Government Services Canada, the Department of Justice Canada and the Department of Finance Canada.


Voted and Statutory Items listed in Main Estimates
(Thousands of dollars)
Vote or Statutory Item Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording 2008-2009 Main Estimates 2007-2008 Main Estimates
45 Program expenditures 4,097 3,026
(S) Contributions to employee benefit plans 416 337
  Total Department 4,513 3,363

The increase in funding in 2008-2009 compared to 2007-2008 will provide the Registrar's office and the future Commissioner's office with the necessary resources to implement the strengthened lobbying provisions of the Lobbying Act, including necessary changes to the Lobbyists Registration System, and hiring more staff for its registration and investigative functions.


Planned Spending and Full-time Equivalents
(Thousands of dollars) Forecast Spending 2007-2008 Planned Spending 2008-2009 Planned Spending 2009-2010 Planned Spending 2010-2011
Registration of Lobbyists 1,425 1,900 1,900 1,900
Education and Research 899 987 987 987
Reviews and Investigations under the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct 1,039 1,626 1,626 1,626
Budgetary Main Estimates (gross) 3,363 4,513 4,513 4,513
Less: Respendable revenue - - - -
Total Main Estimates 3,363 4,513 4,513 4,513
Adjustments        
Supplementary Estimates        
Funding to implement the lobbying provisions of the Federal Accountability Act 1,242      
Other        
Treasury Board Vote 23 29      
Employee Benefit Plan (EBP) 22      
Total Adjustments 1,293 - - -
Total Planned Spending 4,656 4,513 4,513 4,513
Less: Non-respendable revenue 2 2 2 2
Plus: Cost of services received without charge 443 443 443 443
Total Departmental Spending 5,097 4,954 4,954 4,954
Full-time Equivalents 22 28 28 28

Summary Information


Financial Resources
(Thousands of dollars)
2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
4,513 4,513 4,513


Human Resources
2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
28 28 28


Departmental Priorities
Name Type
1. Implement the new Lobbyists Registration System Ongoing
2. Promote awareness of Act and Code requirements Ongoing
3. Pursue enforcement of the Act and Code and communicate the results Ongoing

Program Activities by Strategic Outcome


    Planned Spending
(Thousands of dollars)
 
  Expected Results 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 Contributes to the following priority
Strategic Outcome: Transparency and accountability in the lobbying of public office holders contribute to confidence in the integrity of government decision-making. Priorities 1,2 and 3
Registration of Lobbyists i) All lobbying activity is carried out by individuals, organizations and corporations that are properly registered in the Lobbyists Registration System.
ii) Canadians have access to information about lobbying and lobbyists.
1,900 1,900 1,900 Priority No. 1
Education and Research Lobbyists, their clients, public office holders and the public are aware of the scope and requirements of the Lobbyists Registration Act. 987 987 987 Priority No. 2
Reviews and Investigations under the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct Alleged breaches of the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct are determined to be either unfounded or true so that they may be subjected to the appropriate sanctions. 1,626 1,626 1,626 Priority No. 3

Departmental Plans and Priorities

The Office and its role will change substantially with the coming into force of the Federal Accountability Act's lobbying provisions. Internally, there will be increased responsibilities to manage as a fully independent entity. Externally, there will be a need to assist public office holders, lobbyists, their clients, and others in understanding the Lobbying Act while carrying out an expanded investigative mandate.

The Office will deal with the challenges of this evolving operating environment by integrating sound business planning, risk management and human resources planning in each of its priority areas for the planning period.

Priority #1: Implement the new Lobbyists Registration System. Accommodating the increased disclosure requirements of the Lobbying Act required a major redesign of the Lobbyists Registration System (LRS). The LRS is the Internet-based software application that is used by lobbyists to carry out registration, updates and renewals and by lobbyists and others to carry out searches of the Registry. The LRS will be ready upon coming-into-force to accept registrations, including new monthly reports on communication with certain public office holders. However, it is anticipated that users may take some time to become familiar with the updated system and to use its new features effectively. The Office will use a combination of enhanced help screens, online tutorials and telephone assistance to ensure that implementation of the updated LRS is as smooth as possible.

Priority #2: Promote awareness of Act and Code requirements. Promoting awareness of the Lobbying Act, including how it applies to individuals who may be required to register because of their activities, is key to increasing compliance. The Lobbying Act will bring many changes that will need to be explained to various audiences. The Office will develop a comprehensive education and awareness strategy to enhance its current outreach efforts. Maximum use will be made of partnerships and information technology in order to leverage the Office's outreach capacity.

Priority #3: Pursue enforcement of the Act and the Code and communicate the results. The emphasis in Priority #2, above, will be on assisting those who intend to comply with the Lobbying Act. Priority #3 is aimed at those who do not comply. The Office will continue to enhance its capacity to monitor media and other sources for indications of illegal or unethical lobbying activity through the use of media monitoring tools. Outcomes of reviews and investigations will be publicized, while respecting the Privacy Act and other appropriate legislation, and will be included in educational materials, where appropriate.