Think tank calls for lobbyist registry

SASKATOON — A provincial “lobbyist registry” is needed to show the public which corporations and other bodies have access to our political leaders, states a new report.

Mapping Cor porat e Power in Saskatchewan, a report being released Monday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), notes that seven provinces already have such registries. It would require public disclosure of which corporate, union or other sectors’ lobbyists met with government officials. It would show when and where they met, and what issues they discussed.

Such transparency is a necessary component of democracy, said co-author and CCPA Saskatchewan director Simon Enoch.

“The time is right for a registry,” Enoch said in an interview Sunday.

“Right now, we have no idea what’s going on.”

The report notes economic power in Canada is shifting from the traditional eastern centres to Alberta and Saskatchewan. Corporations will naturally want to maximize returns for their investors, it states. One way to do that is by lobbying governments to enact favourable laws and regulations.

“They will have an enormous amount of clout. This influence should at least be out in the open,” Enoch said.

“Without that, it will continue to contribute to a lack of trust in the democratic process.”

Currently, only Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick lack such a registry. The other seven provinces, as well as the federal government, have strict rules for disclosure of lobbying.