Quebec commissioner recommends tightening rules on lobbying
May 28, 2012
By
Canadian Consulting Engineer
The Lobbyists Commissioner of Quebec, Francois Casgrain, has recommended to the National Assembly that it make major changes to the province's 10-year old Lobbying Transparency and Ethics legislation.
The Lobbyists Commissioner of Quebec, Francois Casgrain, has recommended to the National Assembly that it make major changes to the province’s 10-year old Lobbying Transparency and Ethics legislation.
In a report issued May 9, Casgrain said that after careful study he is proposing changes to simplify and clarify the act. He also wants to restore balance between the obligations of different stakeholders and provide the lobbyist commissioner with tools to fulfil its mandate more effectively.
Among 105 recommendations, the commissioner wants provisions to require that every lobbyist has to register, rather than only the most senior officer of an organization. He also wants a prohibition on lobbying activities in the time between the publication of a public tender and the awarding of a contract. And he’s recommending tightening the rules for staff and representatives of public institutions and government.
Given the large number of amendments he has put forward, the commissioner proposed adopting an entirely new law.
Meanwhile, the Charbonneau Commission of Inquiry into the awarding of public contracts and the construction industry began public hearings on May 22.
