B.C.’s NDP government has introduced new legislation that would tighten regulations on lobbyists.
Under the proposed new rules, former public officials and their senior staff would be barred from lobbying government for two years after leaving their jobs.
The new rules would apply to cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries, deputy and associate deputy ministers, ministry CEOs, school boards, health authority boards, top university posts, and a number of Crown corporations, among others.
MLAs who have not served in cabinet are not covered by the new rules, said Attorney General David Eby.
“Our feeling was that MLAs didn’t have access to this insider information, which is what we were concerned about them potentially bringing to the role of being a lobbyist, and attempting to influence government policy.”
The two-year ban would take effect on an official’s last day in their job, said Eby.
“So, if in 2016 you were the chair of a Crown corporation board you are prohibited from your last day as chair before beginning lobbying.”
The new rules, which would be applied through amendments to the Lobbyist Registration Act, will maintain existing fines and penalties.
Those include administrative penalties of up to $25,000 for non-compliance, and penalties from $25,000 to $100,000 for people who are convicted of an offence.
The province says 62 administrative penalties have been handed out since 2012, with the average fine being $447, and $1,500 being the highest ever handed out.
The changes also include a provision allowing the Registrar of Lobbyists to grant exemptions to the two year ban “if it is deemed best for public interest,” according to a government news release.
Eby said the new rules would come into effect about two months after the legislation is passed, in order to give the registrar time to update their registry and develop a policy guide for granting those exemptions.
Under B.C.’s existing Lobbyist Registration Act, anyone who wishes to advocate to government on behalf of an individual, organization or company must register with the province.