Changes to the city council鈥檚 lobbyist registry now mean that only individuals paid to lobby on behalf of a business or organization, or those with a direct or indirect financial interest, are required to register.
Council approved the amendments at its meeting on Monday (Jan. 13). 鈥淭his simplification, and the way it鈥檚 come forward, really responds to a lot of the early angst that we got from neighbourhood associations and individuals coming to us,鈥� said Councillor Gord Lovegrove.
Previous drafts of the registry had defined a lobbyist as 鈥渨hether paid or voluntary, who lobbies an elected official.鈥� The updated version narrows the definition, and the six-month registration period has been extended to one year. This change aims to reduce the need for frequent re-registration and streamline the process for regular lobbyists.
鈥淓ssentially, we鈥檙e rolling back this and trying to focus it on the transparency issue, which we originally focused on,鈥� said Deputy Mayor Luke Stack. 鈥淲e are simplifying the process and making it easier for people to be in touch with us.鈥�
The lobbyist registry, introduced in September 2023, requires anyone lobbying a council member to register within five days of contact. According to a December 2024 staff report, the city had recorded 46 registrations by October that year.
Of those registrations, 60 per cent came from organizations in the development industry, 20 per cent from community interest groups, and 7 per cent from neighbourhood associations. The remaining registrations were from unaffiliated individuals.
Council voted unanimously to approve the amendments. Councillor Maxine DeHart was not present at Monday鈥檚 meeting.
