FAQs

• What is the threshold for lobbying in BC?
• Are there any examples of what is and isn't considered a lobbying activity in BC?
• With regard to the exemption on providing "information" only, is there any restriction on the type of information that can be provided?
• Where can we find the"Who's Lobbying Who" reports so we can see lobbying activities that other organizations have or expect to carry out in BC?
• In the BC Lobbying Lunch and Learn, you mentioned grants and contracts. Does this refer to grants and contracts that Tides Canada receives from government as well as grants that we make to government?
• For BC lobbying, how much detail do we need to provide on individual contributions reporting and is that also publicly available?
• Regarding BC lobbying rules around coalitions, what if we make a grant to a coalition? Is that considered lobbying that we need to report?
• Could you provide more information on "coalitions" with regard to BC lobbying rules?
• With regards to BC lobbying rules around gifts, does it make a difference if refreshments are available buffet-style and the public office holder just helps themselves?
• Does a public office holder in BC also include members of the civil service?
• What if one project lobbies a BC public office holder and then another project gives that person a gift as a friend?
• Who is expected to report about BC lobbying activities within a coalition?
• Is there a penalty if we report something that is not BC lobbying activity?
• What level of details will be publicly available from our BC lobbying activities report?
• Are we tracking municipal lobbying as well?
• Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists British Columbia FAQs
• What is the difference between my Registration Return and my Monthly Return? (copied)
• Is there a registry of which senior staff are included in the reporting for the BC Monthly Return? (copied)
• How is lobbied defined at the federal and BC government levels? (copied)
• If a TCI project gives a grant to an organization and activities under that grant include lobbying in BC, does that get captured and have to be reported under the BC lobbying rules?
• We are a membership-based network. How do we get consent from our members, so that they understand we will have an obligation to report in BC? (copied)
• Can you expand upon what is meant by Indigenous government in the “Lobbying in Other Jurisdictions” section of the online reporting tool? (copied)
• How do the new rules for lobbying in BC apply to partnerships with government? (copied)
• If the Province of BC is party to a formal MOU to jointly operate a program, and expenses are managed by a non-government org., can you confirm that reimbursing program costs (e.g., travel) is not a gift because it is a cost of a gov. program? (copied)
• Does the $100 total for gifts to BC public office holders refer to each public office holder or to all public office holders?
• Who is included in the definition of a BC public office holder? (copied)
• Does simply hosting a meeting with BC government in attendance (without providing food) count as a gift? (copied)
• If we have a workshop with BC government staff should we avoid providing food?
• Can we assume this doesn't apply to municipal government public office holders & staff in BC?
• Does something as simple as sending a thank you card to a BC public office holder or MLA need to be reported?
• Invitations sent to BC POH: If we invite all of caucus but only half show up, do we have to apply a portion of the event to those MLAs that didn't attend?
• Do the gift rules for BC apply to federal staff?
• Is the gifts provision separate from lobbying in BC?
• Do volunteers need to register and report as lobbyists in BC?
• If a public office holder in the BC government buys an event ticket at the same or higher price as the public, it is not a gift, correct?
• What if an event has two ticket types, free for the public or at-cost for BC public office holders?
• Is the team delegate reporting all lobbying on behalf of the team, or only gifts on behalf of the team (w/ individual team members filling out the lobbying section themselves?
• Do we need to provide mailing address or email address of every member of the coalition?
• If already registered but now part of a new coalition, do you have to now fill this in even though already registered?
• Does the registration info have to be updated every time a new member joins that Coalition?
• If I've been registered for a long time, where can I see what I'm currently registered for, i.e., how do I update that?
• When the government invites you for a meeting or a workshop, is that still exempt from the lobbying definition?
• What about political staff, policy staff of the minister’s office, are they considered senior?
• Is there a distinction between conversations that take place outside of your formal MakeWay position (e.g. conversation with lobbying target as private individual, not MW staff)
• What is grassroots communication?
• On the federal level do we need to report on all communications with federal bureaucrats, or only ones at a specific senior level?
• Do we need to report grassroots communications in our bi-annual political activity reports and in monthly lobbying reports ?
• If I met with a City Councillor in Toronto, would I need to report this in the tracking tool?
• Where can we find the form for monthly tracking of the lobbying activities?
• If we are asking a city councillor to share a volunteer opportunity in their newsletter, is that considered to be lobbying?
• Is one person from the Project required to report every month whether there is monthly lobbying activity?
• Does participation in a standing working group forum jointly administered by government count as lobbying?