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ARTICLE · 10 AUGUST 2017

Lobbying In British Columbia—Change Is Coming

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With the New Democratic Party (NDP) forming British Columbia's next government, lobbying regulation in British Columbia is about to change.

CanadaGovernment, Public Sector
Sabrina Bandali
Sabrina Bandali
Siyan (Anna) Ren
Siyan (Anna) Ren
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With the New Democratic Party (NDP) forming British Columbia's next government, lobbying regulation in British Columbia is about to change. The 2017 Confidence and Supply Agreement between the B.C. Green Party Caucus and the B.C. NDP Caucus, which gave the NDP the votes to form government, refers to lobbying reform as a core policy initiative.

The expected changes to the Lobbyists Registration Act (the Act) will affect many stakeholders:

  • Businesses and other organisations who employ or retain lobbyists must exercise enhanced due diligence and oversight to ensure their lobbyists comply, and to minimize legal and reputational risk for their organisations.
  • 770 In-house lobbyists and 288 consultant lobbyist registered as active lobbyists with the B.C. Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists (ORL), must review their registration practices to ensure that they comply with changes to the Act.

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