How To Talk With Governments: Regulatory Considerations For Communicating With Alberta's New Government

On May 5, 2015, the NDP won a majority government in Alberta. In light of last week's Alberta election results, what follows is a short primer on some regulatory requirements to be mindful of when communicating with Alberta's new government.

Always ensure that you comply with lobbying legislation even when communicating through a government relations firm or lawyer and always keep in mind how public sector freedom of information regimes could affect information shared with public office holders.

LOBBYING OVERVIEW

Communications with public office holders in Alberta are governed by Alberta's Lobbyists Act (Act). For the most part, the Act does not prohibit communications with public office holders. It does, however, require that the fact that communications took place be publicly disclosed and that those engaged in such communications be registered with the Alberta Lobbyist Registry.