Communicating With The Federal Government: A Refresher

On September 20, 2021, Canadians cast their ballots. The Liberal Party of Canada won a plurality of seats and is expected to be invited to form a minority government. The new cabinet is anticipated to be announced in the coming weeks.
 
Businesses and organizations who plan to reach out to federal public office holders (whether civil service, elected officials or political staff) should be mindful that these communications may constitute lobbying and may be subject to regulatory or compliance obligations under the federal lobbying regime. The federal lobbying rules apply both to external consultant lobbyists and in-house lobbyists alike.
 
Dealing with public sector officials is subject to several regulatory considerations that do not apply to interactions in the private sector. The Lobbying Act (Canada) (Act) sets out the requirements and rules to follow when lobbying federal public office holders.