A mandatory review of Alberta’s Lobbyists Act is currently in progress as it must be conducted every five years. However, concerns arise as no changes were implemented after the previous review, raising doubts about the effectiveness of this year’s review.
According to an expert, the existing provincial legislation is significantly outdated, especially regarding the level of transparency in sharing information with the public. Ian Stedman, a Canadian ethics expert and associate professor at York University, expressed in an interview with CBC News that the Act is lagging behind by around fifteen years.
Although the legislation mandates a review every five years, there is no obligation for the government to adopt any recommendations resulting from the review. The Act has not been updated since 2018.
During the last review in 2021-22, concerns were raised by then-ethics commissioner Marguerite Trussler and opposition MLAs regarding issues such as the lack of detail in the lobbyist registry and the high threshold of annual lobbying hours before registration is required.
Stedman emphasized that these concerns persist, particularly the high threshold for registration and the minimal information required for disclosure. He stressed the need for increased transparency in the lobbyist registry to allow the public to identify individuals seeking to influence the government.
Suggestions for changes in the Act have been proposed, including the creation of a communication registry that would provide more detailed information on lobbying activities. However, the final report submitted to the legislature had only two recommendations, emphasizing the importance of public transparency in lobbying practices.
Despite these recommendations, most proposals, including those aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability, were rejected by the majority of committee members, leading to disappointment among opposition members and concerns about the government’s commitment to legislative change.
MLA Heather Sweet expressed skepticism about the likelihood of any significant changes being adopted during the current review, citing concerns about the government’s reluctance to prioritize accountability and transparency.
In summary, experts and stakeholders are calling for substantial improvements to the Lobbyists Act to align with modern expectations of transparency and accountability in lobbying practices.