B.C. will likely see a significant number of new groups registering their lobbying activities after all of the provincial Lobbyists Transparency Act (LTA) comes into effect on May 4, officials said.
According to the B.C. Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists, groups like NGOs, societies, unions and non-profits have not had to register their activities in government relations up to this point. Under the LTA, they will now be required to do so - and officials are anticipating more registrations after May 4.
Another group that was previously exempted from reporting - organizations with less than 100 hours of lobbying activity in the last 12 months - is now also required to register (as the 100-hour threshold has been eliminated under the LTA).
“The ORL is committed to making it as easy as possible for lobbyists to comply with the changes to the rules,” the official announcement release said, adding that those looking for more information and guidelines can find it on the ORL website.
Under the new rules, the province will also launch an online searchable registry starting May 4 that will allow the public to search for lobbying activities (such as gifts given or promised to public-office holders, as well as political contributions). Lobbyists are also now required to submit monthly reports to the registry, although a transition period of up to June 15 has been announced for groups to update their filings.
The province also said that lobbyist groups who need more time for the transition due to COVID-19 are allowed an extension until Sept. 15, although groups that can set up by June 15 will be “expected to do so.”
B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner and Registrar of Lobbyists Michael McEvoy April 28 told the Select Standing Committee on Finance & Government Services that a significant part of creating the registry was based on adapting the federal system.
“We negotiated an arrangement to license the federal lobbyists registry at no cost and our team of developers has completed the work to bring that registry into line with BC’s legislative requirements,” McEvoy said.
He said the system reforms to create the registry came from $500,000 in committee-approved funds.
“The new registry will enhance the transparency purpose of the LTA, with a sophisticated search function to provide the public with easy access to information about what is happening in lobbying in B.C.,” McEvoy said.
– With files from Jeremy Hainsworth
@jhainswo
