The New Normal: Changes To Ontario's Lobbying Rules

Ontario's lobbying rules are about to change. Here's what you need to know.

Significant amendments to Ontario's Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998 (the "LRA" or the "Act") received Royal Assent in late 2014. The 2014 amendments are expected to be proclaimed in force this July.

If you communicate with Ontario government officials as part of your business, the new rules may apply to you. Before you next press "send" or pick up the phone, make sure that you and your team understand the new reporting requirements and that your internal policies and procedures reflect them.

For businesses and not-for-profit organizations, the most important changes will be:

• A new, lower threshold for registration. Corporations, partnerships, and organizations (including charities) whose paid employees and directors collectively devote at least 50 hours to provincial lobbying activities in a given one-year period will now be required to register.