Items of minimal value, such as pens, mugs, or books, given as tokens of appreciation in the context of an official interaction, generally meet both parts of the exception test. The LTA requires that ALL gifts given or promised to be given by a lobbyist to ALL public office holders the lobbyist is lobbying must be declared. So, the gift in the given example is allowed, but it needs to be reported.

All gifts given or promised by a lobbyist to a public office holder the lobbyist is lobbying must be declared in the lobbyist’s Registration Return. This includes gifts that meet the exception test.

A gift given or promised but not declared is a contravention of the LTA, including those that are incidental to protocol or social obligations and under the $100 limit.