Lobbying in BC

• General information
• Office of the Registrar of Lobbyist (ORL) BC Guidance
• Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists British Columbia FAQs
• What level of details will be publicly available from our BC lobbying activities report?
• What is lobbying?
• What is NOT lobbying?
• Is there a penalty if we report something that is not BC lobbying activity?
• Do all forms of communications count as lobbying?
• Who is a “public office holder”?
• Does a public office holder in BC also include members of the civil service?
• Who is a “senior public office holder”?
• Why does it matter whether they are a public office holder or a senior public office holder?
• Arranging a meeting
• Coalitions
• My organization endorsed or signed on to a letter written by another organization that is registered to lobby in BC. The content of the letter qualifies as a lobbying activity. Does my organization need to register this activity?
• Who is expected to report about BC lobbying activities within a coalition?
• Regarding BC lobbying rules around coalitions, what if we make a grant to a coalition? Is that considered lobbying that we need to report?
• 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?
• 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?
• Provincial Entities
• What is the threshold for lobbying 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?
• 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?
• How do the new rules for lobbying in BC apply to partnerships with government?
• If a MWCS 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?
• Do volunteers need to register and report as lobbyists in BC?
• What are the three key elements of the LTA regarding gifts?
• What is considered a gift?
• What are some examples of gifts given or promised “under the protocol or social obligations that normally accompany the duties or responsibilities of office of the public office holder”?
• Once gifts from a lobbyist to a public office holder they are lobbying exceed $100 in value, when can another gift be given or promised to that public office holder?
• How is the value of a gift calculated?
• How is the value of a gift calculated for a guest of a public office holder?
• When more than one public office holder is invited, how should the value of hospitality for each public office holder be calculated and declared by each lobbyist?
• If an in-house lobbyist from another MWCS project is lobbying an invited POH, does the gift prohibition apply to the POH even though the lobbyist has no knowledge or influence on the invitation?
• Gifts promised and gifts given
• 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?
• What if one project lobbies a BC public office holder and then another project gives that person a gift as a friend?
• Does the $100 total for gifts to BC public office holders refer to each public office holder or to all public office holders?
• 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?
• Does simply hosting a meeting with BC government in attendance (without providing food) count as a gift? (copied)
• MWCS Gift Database
• What if an event has two ticket types, free for the public or at-cost for BC public office holders?
• Does something as simple as sending a thank you card to a BC public office holder or MLA need to be reported?
• If we have a workshop with BC government staff should we avoid providing food?
• 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?
• Has MakeWay given gifts to public office holders?
• Has MakeWay given any gifts that are prohibited?