Niagara Falls Review e-edition

Green light for lobbyist registry — if it survives the budget process

BILL SAWCHUK BILL SAWCHUK IS A ST. CATHARINES-BASED REPORTER WITH THE STANDARD. REACH HIM VIA EMAIL: WILLIAM.SAWCHUK@NIAGARADAILIES.COM BOB TYMCZYSZYN TORSTAR FILE PHOTO

The Niagara Region’s corporate services committee voted to implement a lobbyist registry, provided it survives the 2022 budget process.

Regional council passed the bylaw in principle Thursday during the full meeting.

“I said in the past, lobbying is not inherently bad nor would a lobbyist registry cut off communication between members of the public, whether they be individuals or businesses or other groups and councillors or staff,” said St. Catharines regional Coun. Laura Ip, who made the motion.

The bylaw also changes the councillor code of conduct to include obligations under the lobbyist registry.

“We know that transparency and accountability are paramount in our roles as councillors and certainly for our staff as well,” Ip said. “A lobbyist registry has the potential to dramatically increase transparency and accountability, while also improving communication with the public.

“Not registering these conversations publicly does call into question why they are being kept secret and why there might be a preference to keep them secret.”

Ip introduced the idea of a regional registry for lobbyists in December 2020. “We’ve had a few instances this term of council where people have come to council that are absolutely lobbying for their business or their sector,” she said at the time.

Regional Chair Jim Bradley said the bylaw wasn’t breaking new ground and experience has shown no one on council should be afraid of this kind of transparency.

“The federal government and the provincial government both have a registry for those who are lobbying, and it works well because people are aware of who made representations on various issues,” Bradley said.

“All this says is that there should be a registry to let us know who is doing that.”

The staff report said lobbying can occur through telephone calls, emails, in-person meetings and text messages.

The bylaw defines it as communication with elected officials by someone paid to represent a business or an individual or someone who has a financial stake in the outcome.

Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati was the only council member to vote against the registry. He worried it might be weaponized to score political points.

The report said implementing a registry would supplement other regional transparency and accountability measures.

The registrar and an operating budget would cost about $50,000, and the Region can maintain the registry with current regional staff levels.

The staff report also listed activities that might seek to influence municipal officials but are not generally considered lobbying.

They include municipal staff discussing official business with councillors or other public officials; casual conversations with public officials that do not specifically pertain to municipal business; and community groups whose requests would create “a general regional benefit.”

‘‘ A lobbyist registry has the potential to dramatically increase transparency and accountability, while also improving communication with the public.

LAURA IP ST. CATHARINES REGIONAL COUNCILLOR

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2021-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

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