What is lobbying?
Lobbying is communicating with a provincial government official (for example, an MLA or a government employee) to try to influence a government decision.
Lobbying can include:
- telephone calls
- letter writing
- e-mails
- face-to-face conversations
Talking to your MLA isn't considered lobbying, unless the conversation is about passing a private bill for your own benefit. Neither is talking to your MLA or a government employee about how existing legislation applies to you or an organization.
Who is a lobbyist?
There are two kinds of lobbyists outlined in the Act:
- organizational lobbyists, who work on behalf of organizations, and lobby the government as part of their jobs, and;
- consultant lobbyists, who are paid to lobby on a specific issue on behalf of their clients.
Unpaid volunteers are not required to register as lobbyists. However, volunteers who receive a stipend or honorarium for their work may be required to register if they work for not-for-profit organizations that service industry, unions or professional interests.
Features of the Bill
There are two important features of the Bill:
- a lobbyist registry that will give Albertans easy access to public information about who is paid to influence the government, and on what issues;
- a report of payments made by the government
The Office of the Ethics Commissioner will establish and administer the lobbyist registry, and may name a person to act as Registrar. The Registrar will investigate breaches of the Act and can impose serious penalties — up to a maximum of $100,000.
The President of Treasury Board will oversee the report of payments made by government.
Setting up a lobbyist registry and providing more details on government contracts are key actions under government's plan to govern with integrity and transparency.
More information