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2008-2009
Reports on Plans and Priorities
Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists
The Honourable Vic Toews, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
President of the Treasury Board
Table of Contents
- Section I — Departmental Overview
- Section II — Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome
- Section III — Supplementary Information
Section I — Departmental Overview
Registrar's Message
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
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.
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.
Summary Information
| 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
|---|---|---|
| 4,513 | 4,513 | 4,513 |
| 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | 28 | 28 |
| 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.
Section II — Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome
Analysis by Program Activity
Strategic Outcome:
Transparency and accountability in the lobbying of public office holders contribute to confidence in the integrity of government decision-making.
Program Activity Name:
Registration of Lobbyists — Lobbying the federal government is a legitimate activity but it must be done transparently. The Lobbyist Registration Act requires that individuals who are paid to lobby public office holders must disclose certain details of their lobbying activities. The Registrar approves lobbyists' registrations and makes them available for reference in an electronic registry that is accessible on the Internet.
| 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,900 | 1,900 | 1,900 |
| 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 | 10 |
Registration of lobbyists is the program activity that supports Priority #1: Implement the new Lobbyists Registration System (LRS). The Federal Accountability Act has considerably modified the registration requirements set out in the Lobbyists Registration Act, to be renamed the Lobbying Act. Upon coming into force of this new legislation, lobbyists will need to have access to a registration system that will incorporate the new legislative and regulatory registration requirements they will be subject to. The LRS is the Internet-based software application used by more than 99.9% of lobbyists for registering their lobbying activities and completing related registration transactions such as amendments, renewals and terminations. The application required major modifications to ensure it will be capable of processing significantly larger numbers of additional transactions, such as monthly reports, that will be required under the Lobbying Act. Moreover, additional functions will be added to the LRS to facilitate searches of the registry by members of the public and thus increase transparency. Performance of the program activity is to be measured with indicators such as the number of visits recorded on the ORL's website, as well as the number of completed registrations and terminated registrations.
| Expected Results | Performance Indicators |
|---|---|
| All lobbying activity is carried out by individuals, organizations and corporations that are properly registered in the Lobbyists Registration System. | Completeness of active registrations in the Lobbyists Registration System. |
| Canadians have access to information about lobbying and lobbyists. | Online availability of the registry of lobbyists. |
Analysis by Program Activity
Strategic Outcome:
Transparency and accountability in the lobbying of public office holders contribute to confidence in the integrity of government decision-making.
Program Activity Name:
Education and Research — The Office develops and implements educational and research programs to foster awareness of the requirements of the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct. The primary audiences for programs are lobbyists, their clients and public office holders.
| 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
|---|---|---|
| 987 | 987 | 987 |
| 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 6 | 6 |
The Education and Research Program Activity is in direct support of Priority #2: Increase awareness of Act and Code requirements. The new Commissioner of Lobbying will have an explicit mandate to enhance awareness of the scope and requirements of the Lobbying Act by lobbyists, their clients, public office holders, and the public at large. These same individuals will also be targeted for outreach activities to ensure they fully understand the new registration requirements of the Lobbying Act. The outreach activities will include direct communications with lobbyists, the media and the public via the website; issuance of advisory letters to lobbyists who are alleged to have conducted unregistered lobbying activities; information sessions; media relations; conferences and learning events; briefings for federal government institutions; and dialogue with other jurisdictions. Performance will be measured by the number of ORL presentations made and the number of advisory letters to which ORL receives a reply.
| Expected Result | Performance Indicator |
|---|---|
| Lobbyists, their clients, public office holders and the public are aware of the scope and requirements of the Lobbyists Registration Act. | Survey conducted in the third quarter of every year. |
Analysis by Program Activity
Strategic Outcome:
Transparency and accountability in the lobbying of public office holders contribute to confidence in the integrity of government decision-making.
Program Activity Name:
Reviews and Investigations under the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct — The Office validates information provided by registered lobbyists to ensure accuracy. Allegations of non-registration or misconduct by lobbyists are reviewed and formal investigations are carried out when required.
| 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,626 | 1,626 | 1,626 |
| 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 12 | 12 |
The Reviews and Investigations Program Activity is in direct support of Priority #3: Pursue enforcement of the Act and the Code and communicate the results. It is important that the lobbying community, public office holders, and the public be aware that the law is being enforced. The Office has increased its staff and expertise to better review allegations of non-registration or Code of Conduct breaches. Performance will be measured by the number of reviews or investigations initiated.
| Expected Result | Performance Indicator |
|---|---|
| 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. | Number of alleged breaches of the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct which result in decisions. |
Section III — Supplementary Information
Canada's lobbying legislation concerns much more than creating a public registry. Parliamentarians intended the Lobbyists Registration Act to contribute in an important way to confidence in the integrity of government decision-making. The Lobbying Act will provide for a strong regime of transparency and accountability for those who communicate with public office holders with respect to a wide range of government decisions on legislation, regulations, policies, programs, grants, contributions and other matters. Through administration and enforcement of federal lobbying legislation, the plans and priorities set out in this document will contribute to all Government of Canada Outcome areas.
You can find additional information in electronic format for the following tables:
- Green Procurement
- Services Received Without Charge
- Sources of Respendable and Non-respendable Revenue
Electronic tables can be found on the Treasury Board Secretariat's website.
Green Procurement
The government's Policy on Green Procurement, effective April 1, 2006, established environmental performance considerations as a key factor in procurement decisions that occur throughout the lifecycle of assets and acquired services. The objective of the Policy on Green Procurement is to advance protection of the environment and support sustainable development by integrating environmental performance considerations into procurement decision-making processes.
The Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists (ORL) is a small organization compared with most federal government departments and agencies. From the time it became a separate entity in February 2006, the ORL has been establishing administrative and financial processes and service arrangements, as well as increasing its staff.
During the next planning period,ORL will focus on evaluating its buying patterns. This should provide a basis for establishing measurable green procurement targets for subsequent years.
Even though it has not yet established green procurement targets, the ORL is contributing to protection of the environment by using green procurement standing offers whenever possible, buying high-content recycled paper, and recycling spent batteries as well as empty toner cartridges used in office printers. Other initiatives include printing the ORL's annual report and investigation reports on 100% recycled paper, double-sided printing of documents whenever possible, circulating documents of interest and/or making them available on a shared computer drive rather than printing multiple copies for internal distribution, and using the ORL's web site as the preferred means for public distribution of information and corporate publications.
Services Received Without Charge
| (Thousands of dollars) | 2008-2009 |
|---|---|
| Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada | 253 |
| Contributions covering employers' share of employees' insurance premiums and expenditures paid by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (excluding revolving funds) | 190 |
| Total services received without charge | 443 |
Sources of Respendable and Non-Respendable Revenue
| (Thousands of dollars) | Forecast Revenue 2007-2008 |
Planned Revenue 2008-2009 |
Planned Revenue 2009-2010 |
Planned Revenue 2010-2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration of Lobbyists | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total Non-Respendable Revenue | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total Respendable and Non-respendable Revenue | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |