Bill C-618: An Act to amend the Lobbying Act (reporting obligations)

C-618 Second Session, Forty-first Parliament, 62-63 Elizabeth II, 2013-2014 HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA BILL C-618 An Act to amend the Lobbying Act (reporting obligations) first reading, June 13, 2014 Mrs. Gallant 412191 SUMMARY This enactment amends the Lobbying Act to require lobbyists to disclose (a) if they are funded by a foreign national or by a non-resident corporation or a non-resident organization; and (b) if they use, or expect to use, grass-roots communication to seek to persuade organizations or members of the public to take measures to obstruct, delay or otherwise affect any process in accordance with which the Government of Canada is required to consult with the public before embarking on a specific course of action, in an attempt to place pressure on a public office holder to endorse a particular opinion. It also makes a housekeeping amendment to the English version of paragraph 5(2)(e.1) of the Act. Available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address:http://www.parl.gc.ca 2nd Session, 41st Parliament, 62-63 Elizabeth II, 2013-2014 house of commons of canada BILL C-618 An Act to amend the Lobbying Act (reporting obligations) Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows: SHORT TITLE 1. This Act may be cited as the Foreign Lobbyist Transparency Act. R.S., ch. 44 (4th Supp.); 2006, c. 9, s. 65 LOBBYING ACT 2. Section 2 of the Lobbying Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order: “foreign national”« étranger » “foreign national” has the meaning assigned by subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. “grass-roots communication”« appel au grand public » “grass-roots communication” means the appeals, directions and other communications described in subparagraphs 5(2)(j)(i) and (ii). “non-resident”« non-résident » “non-resident” means not resident in Canada. 3. (1) Paragraph 5(2)(e.1) of the English version of the Act is replaced by the following: (e.1) if the client is funded in whole or in part by a government or government agency, the name of the government or agency, as the case may be, and the amount of funding received; (2) Subsection 5(2) of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (e.1): (e.2) if the client is directly or indirectly funded, in whole or in part, by a foreign national, a non-resident corporation or a non-resident organization, the name of the foreign national, non-resident corporation or non-resident organization, as the case may be, including the direct funder, the ultimate funder and any intermediaries, and the amount of funding received; (3) Paragraphs 5(2)(j) and (k) of the Act are replaced by the following: (j) if the individual undertakes to communicate with a public office holder in respect of any matter described in subparagraphs (1)(a)(i) to (vi), particulars to identify any communication technique that the individual uses or expects to use in connection with the communication with the public office holder, including (i) any appeals to members of the public through the mass media or by direct communication that seek to persuade those members of the public to communicate directly with the public office holder in an attempt to place pressure on the public office holder to endorse a particular opinion, and (ii) any appeals, directions or other communications to organizations or members of the public through the mass media or by direct communication that seek to persuade those organizations or members of the public to take measures to obstruct, delay or otherwise affect any Government of Canada policy-making process, including any process in accordance with which the Government of Canada is required to consult with the public before embarking on a specific course of action, in an attempt to place pressure on the public office holder to endorse a particular opinion; and (k) such other information relating to the identity of the individual, the client, any person or organization referred to in paragraph (b), any subsidiary referred to in paragraph (c), the other corporation referred to in paragraph (d), any member of a coalition referred to in paragraph (e), any foreign national, non-resident corporation or non-resident organization referred to in paragraph (e.2) or any department or institution referred to in paragraph (i) as is prescribed. 4. (1) Subsection 7(3) of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (e): (e.1) if the employer is directly or indirectly funded, in whole or in part, by a foreign national, non-resident corporation or non-resident organization, the name of the foreign national, non-resident corporation or non-resident organization, as the case may be, including the direct funder, the ultimate funder and any intermediaries, and the amount of funding received; (2) Paragraph 7(3)(k) of the Act is replaced by the following: (k) particulars to identify any communication technique, including grass-roots communication, that any employee named in the return uses or is expected to use in connection with any communication in respect of any matter described in subparagraphs (1)(a)(i) to (v); and Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons