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Bill C-43

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42-43-44 ELIZABETH II

CHAPTER 12

An Act to amend the Lobbyists Registration Act and to make related amendments to other Acts

[Assented to 15th June, 1995]

      Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

R.S., c. 44 (4th Supp.); 1993, c. 12; 1994, c. 35

LOBBYISTS REGISTRATION ACT

1. (1) The definition ``organization'' in subsection 2(1) of the Lobbyists Registration Act is replaced by the following:

``organization ''
« organisation »

``organization'' includes

      (a) a business, trade, industry, professional or voluntary organization,

      (b) a trade union or labour organization,

      (c) a chamber of commerce or board of trade,

      (d) a partnership, association, charitable society, coalition or interest group,

      (e) a government, other than the Government of Canada, and

      (f) a corporation without share capital incorporated to pursue, without financial gain to its members, objects of a national, provincial, patriotic, religious, philanthropic, charitable, scientific, artistic, social, professional or sporting character or other similar objects;

(2) Subsection 2(1) of the Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:

``Ethics Counsellor''
« conseiller »

``Ethics Counsellor'' means the Ethics Counsellor designated pursuant to section 10.1;

2. (1) Paragraph 4(1)(d) of the Act is replaced by the following:

    (d) members of the council of a band as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Indian Act or of the council of an Indian band established by an Act of Parliament, persons on their staff or employees of such a council;

(2) Subsection 4(2) of the Act is amended by striking out the word ``or'' at the end of paragraph (a), by adding the word ``or'' at the end of paragraph (b) and by adding the following after paragraph (b):

    (c) any oral or written submission made to a public office holder by an individual on behalf of any person or organization in direct response to a written request from a public office holder, for advice or comment in respect of any matter referred to in any of subparagraphs 5(1)(a)(i) to (vi) or paragraphs 6(1)(a) to (e) or 7(1)(a) to (e).

3. The headings before section 5 and sections 5 to 7 of the Act are replaced by the following:

REGISTRATION OF LOBBYISTS

Consultant Lobbyists

Lobbyists shall file return

5. (1) Every individual who, for payment, on behalf of any person or organization (in this section referred to as the ``client''), undertakes to

    (a) communicate with a public office holder in an attempt to influence

      (i) the development of any legislative proposal by the Government of Canada or by a member of the Senate or the House of Commons,

      (ii) the introduction of any Bill or resolution in either House of Parliament or the passage, defeat or amendment of any Bill or resolution that is before either House of Parliament,

      (iii) the making or amendment of any regulation as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Statutory Instruments Act,

      (iv) the development or amendment of any policy or program of the Government of Canada,

      (v) the awarding of any grant, contribution or other financial benefit by or on behalf of Her Majesty in right of Canada, or

      (vi) the awarding of any contract by or on behalf of Her Majesty in right of Canada, or

    (b) arrange a meeting between a public office holder and any other person,

shall, not later than ten days after entering into that undertaking, file with the registrar, in the prescribed form and manner, a return setting out the information referred to in subsection (2).

Contents of return

(2) The return shall set out the following information with respect to the undertaking:

    (a) the name and business address of the individual and, if applicable, the name and business address of the firm where the individual is engaged in business;

    (b) the name and business address of the client and the name and business address of any person or organization that, to the knowledge of the individual, controls or directs the activities of the client and has a direct interest in the outcome of the individual's activities on behalf of the client;

    (c) where the client is a corporation, the name and business address of each subsidiary of the corporation that, to the knowledge of the individual, has a direct interest in the outcome of the individual's activities on behalf of the client;

    (d) where the client is a corporation that is a subsidiary of any other corporation, the name and business address of that other corporation;

    (e) where the client is a coalition, the name and business address of each corporation or organization that is a member of the coalition;

    (e.1) where the client is funded in whole or in part by a government, the name of the government or government agency, as the case may be, and the amount of funding received by the client from that government or government agency;

    (f) particulars to identify the subject-matter in respect of which the individual has undertaken to communicate with a public office holder or to arrange a meeting, and such other information respecting the subject-matter as is prescribed;

    (g) where applicable, whether the payment to the individual is in whole or in part contingent on the individual's degree of success in influencing any matter described in subparagraphs (1)(a)(i) to (vi);

    (h) particulars to identify any relevant legislative proposal, Bill, resolution, regulation, policy, program, grant, contribution, financial benefit or contract;

    (i) the name of any department or other governmental institution in which any public office holder with whom the individual has communicated or expects to communicate, or with whom a meeting is to be or has been arranged, is employed or serves;

    (j) where the individual has undertaken to communicate with a public office holder in an attempt to influence any matter described in subparagraphs (1)(a)(i) to (vi), particulars to identify any communication technique, including appeals to members of the public through the mass media or by direct communication that seek to persuade members of the public to communicate directly with a public office holder in an attempt to place pressure on the public office holder to endorse a particular opinion (in this Act referred to as ``grass-roots communication''), that the individual has used or expects to use in an attempt to influence that matter; and

    (k) such other information relating to the identity of the individual, the client, any person or organization referred to in paragraph (b), any subsidiary referred to in paragraph (c), the other corporation referred to in paragraph (d), any member of a coalition referred to in paragraph (e) or any department or institution referred to in paragraph (i) as is prescribed.

Changes to information and new information

(3) An individual who files a return shall provide the registrar, in the prescribed form and manner, with any change to the information provided by the individual in the return, and any information required to be provided under subsection (2) the knowledge of which the individual acquired only after the return was filed, not later than thirty days after the change occurs or the knowledge is acquired.

Completion or termination of undertaking

(4) An individual who completes or terminates an undertaking in respect of which the individual has filed a return shall advise the registrar of that fact, in the prescribed form and manner, not later than thirty days after the undertaking is completed or terminated.

Information requested by registrar

(5) An individual who files a return shall provide the registrar, in the prescribed form and manner, with such information as the registrar may request to clarify any information that the individual has provided to the registrar pursuant to this section, and shall do so not later than thirty days after the request is made.

Restriction on application

(6) This section does not apply in respect of anything that an employee undertakes to do on the sole behalf of their employer or, where their employer is a corporation, in respect of anything that the employee, at the direction of the employer, undertakes to do on behalf of any subsidiary of the employer or any corporation of which the employer is a subsidiary.

For greater certainty

(7) For greater certainty, an individual who undertakes to communicate with a public office holder as described in paragraph (1)(a) is required to file only one return under subsection (1) notwithstanding that the individual may, in connection with that undertaking, communicate with one or more public office holders on one or more occasions.

In-House Lobbyists (Corporate)

Lobbyists shall file return

6. (1) Where a person employs an individual a significant part of whose duties as an employee is to communicate with public office holders on behalf of the employer or, where the employer is a corporation, on behalf of any subsidiary of the employer or any corporation of which the employer is a subsidiary, in an attempt to influence

    (a) the development of any legislative proposal by the Government of Canada or by a member of the Senate or the House of Commons,

    (b) the introduction of any Bill or resolution in either House of Parliament or the passage, defeat or amendment of any Bill or resolution that is before either House of Parliament,

    (c) the making or amendment of any regulation as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Statutory Instruments Act,

    (d) the development or amendment of any policy or program of the Government of Canada, or

    (e) the awarding of any grant, contribution or other financial benefit by or on behalf of Her Majesty in right of Canada,

the employee shall file with the registrar, in the prescribed form and manner and at the time or times required by subsection (2), a return setting out the information referred to in subsection (3).

Time limits for filing a return

(2) An employee to whom subsection (1) applies shall file a return

    (a) where the duties described in subsection (1) commenced to be a significant part of their duties before the date on which that subsection comes into force, within two months after that date;

    (b) where the duties described in subsection (1) commence to be a significant part of their duties on or after that date, within two months after the date on which those duties commence to be a significant part of their duties; and

    (c) within two months after the end of each financial year of the employer or, if the employer does not have a financial year, within two months after the end of each calendar year, beginning with the financial year or calendar year, as the case may be, in which the employee is required to file a return pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b).

Contents of return

(3) The return shall set out the following information:

    (a) the name and business address of the employee;

    (b) the name and business address of the employer;

    (c) where the employer is a corporation, the name and business address of each subsidiary of the corporation that, to the knowledge of the employee, has a direct interest in the outcome of the employee's activities on behalf of the employer;

    (d) where the employer is a corporation that is a subsidiary of any other corporation, the name and business address of that other corporation;

    (e) if applicable, the financial year of the employer;

    (f) a description in summary form of the employer's business or activities and such other information to identify the employer's business or activities as is prescribed;

    (f.1) where the employer is funded in whole or in part by a government, the name of the government or government agency, as the case may be, and the amount of funding received by the employer from that government or government agency;

    (g) where the employee is attempting to influence any matter described in paragraphs (1)(a) to (e) at the time the return is filed, particulars to identify the relevant subject-matter and such other information respecting the subject-matter as is prescribed;

    (h) particulars to identify the subject-matters in respect of which the employee has communicated or expects to communicate with public office holders during the financial year of the employer in which the return is filed or, if the employer does not have a financial year, during the calendar year in which the return is filed, in an attempt to influence any matter described in paragraphs (1)(a) to (e), and such other information respecting those subject-matters as is prescribed;

    (i) particulars to identify any relevant legislative proposal, Bill, resolution, regulation, policy, program, grant, contribution or financial benefit;

    (j) the name of any department or other governmental institution in which any public office holder with whom the employee has communicated or expects to communicate, in connection with any matter referred to in paragraph (g) or (h), is employed or serves;

    (k) particulars to identify any communication technique, including grass-roots communication within the meaning of paragraph 5(2)(j), that the employee has used or expects to use in an attempt to influence any matter referred to in paragraph (g) or (h); and

    (l) such other information relating to the identity of the employee, the employer, any subsidiary referred to in paragraph (c), the other corporation referred to in paragraph (d) or any department or institution referred to in paragraph (j) as is prescribed.

Changes to return and new information

(4) An employee who files a return shall provide the registrar, in the prescribed form and manner, with any change to the information provided by the employee in the return, and any information required to be provided under subsection (3) the knowledge of which the employee acquired only after the return was filed, not later than thirty days after the change occurs or the knowledge is acquired.

Ceasing duties or employment

(5) An employee who files a return shall advise the registrar, in the prescribed form and manner, if the duties described in subsection (1) cease to be a significant part of their duties or they cease to be employed by the employer, and shall do so not later than thirty days after the event.

Information requested by registrar

(6) An employee who files a return shall provide the registrar, in the prescribed form and manner, with such information as the registrar may request to clarify any information that the employee has provided to the registrar pursuant to this section, and shall do so not later than thirty days after the request is made.

Definition of ``employee''

(7) In this section, ``employee'' includes an officer who is compensated for the performance of their duties.