NEWS RELEASE |
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LOBBYISTS REGISTRY TO IMPROVE OPENNESS, ACCOUNTABILITY
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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Backgrounder |
VICTORIA – Starting today, people who are paid to lobby government will have to register on a publicly accessible directory, Attorney General Geoff Plant announced today.
“The lobbyists’ registry is central to the government’s New Era commitment to openness, accountability and transparency,” said Plant. “The registry will allow the public to find out who is being paid to influence MLAs and government staff, who they are lobbying, and the issues they are raising.”
The Lobbyists’ Registration Act was passed in August 2001. It requires lobbyists to list contact information, names of their clients or employers, details of their lobbying efforts, and government employees and politicians contacted. This information will be accessible to the public online. The act defines three kinds of lobbyists:
· Consultant lobbyists who are paid on contract to lobby on behalf of clients. They include government relations consultants, lawyers, accountants and other professionals. These consultants will have to register for each separate contract they undertake.
· In-house lobbyists employed by businesses that carry on activities for financial gain.
· Senior officers of not-for-profit organizations who either lobby directly themselves or employ staff who spend much of their time on lobbying activities. This includes business, trade and professional associations, labour organizations, chambers of commerce and boards of trade, and charitable and interest groups.
Elected officials and staff from the federal and other provincial governments, members and staff of local governments and school districts, members and staff of aboriginal governing bodies, diplomatic agents, and officials of specialized agencies of the United Nations are exempt, as are unpaid volunteers and private citizens.
The new registry service will be funded by a $150 registration fee to cover costs. Consultant lobbyists must register within 10 days of entering into a new agreement with a client. In-house lobbyists and senior officers of not-for-profit organizations will have two months to register. Those who do not comply could face fines up to $25,000.
There will be a subsequent review to ensure the registry is working effectively. The registry is administered by the information and privacy commissioner. The lobbyists’ registry Web site is http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/lra .
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Visit the province's Web site at http://www.gov.bc.ca/ for online information and services. |
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contact: |
Public Affairs Officer 250 356-0727 |
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