Burlington launches lobbyist registry and aims to 'make decisions more transparent'

Thestar.com
Feb. 7, 2022

There’s a new way to see who is speaking with your councillor.

The City of Burlington has launched an online lobbyist registry designed to document interactions between lobbyists and members of City Council. The centralized, searchable registry can be found at www.burlington.ca/accountability.

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said the goal is to help the public be aware of who is speaking to their elected officials.

“It’s important that members of the public can clearly see who is lobbying the City of Burlington’s public office holders and on what topics. The goal is not to prevent interactions and communications but to make decisions more transparent,” said Meed Ward.

Approved by council on Nov. 1, lobbyists are required to register themselves as a lobbyist and submit the subject matter they intend to discuss with a member of City Council. Lobbyists are required to register their lobbying activity within 10 business days of their meeting with a member of City Council.

Kevin Arjoon, city clerk, said the registry aims to better record lobbying efforts.

“Lobbying is a legitimate activity that benefits not only lobbyists, but also public office holders and members of the public. The benefits of lobbying are lost, however, when they take place behind closed doors. This new registry ensures the process is transparent and easy to access by the public.”

Burlington defines three types of lobbyists in the city. A Consultant Lobbyist is an individual who lobbies for payment on behalf of a client. An in-house Lobbyist is someone who is an employee, partner or sole proprietor, and who lobbies on behalf of his or her own employer, business or other entity. Finally, a voluntary unpaid lobbyist is an individual who lobbies without payment on behalf of an individual, business or other entity for the benefit of the interests of the individual, business or other entity.