NWP City Councillor Daniel Fontaine has submitted a motion for consideration by New Westminster Council that would pave the way for a lobbyist registry at city hall. Fontaine is also encouraging Metro Vancouver to undertake a similar initiative to help foster more openness and transparency within the regional government.
“I think it’s long overdue for both New Westminster and Metro Vancouver to implement a lobbyist registry which will go a long way to providing the public with a better understanding of who is lobbying our elected officials and public servants,” says Fontaine. “We’re falling way behind the provincial and federal governments when it comes to putting daylight on the day-to-day activities of our local and regional governments.”
If approved, Fontaine’s motion would seek Premier Eby and the NDP government’s support to have the lobbyist registry administered by the Province of BC. Alternatively, the BC government could amend provincial legislation to provide cities with the proper authority to both implement and actively enforce the rules within their own registry.
“If a corporation, foreign government, or lobbyist wants to lobby our elected officials or public servants, it should be a matter of public record,” says Fontaine. “The public and our local media have a right to know who is lobbying when it comes to the activities that take place at city hall and Metro Vancouver.”
While Fontaine does not sit on the Board of Directors for Metro Vancouver, he is encouraging Mayor Patrick Johnstone (New Westminster’s representative) to advocate that a lobbyist registry be considered as part of the upcoming governance review planned for later this year. A vote on the governance review is anticipated to take place in September.
A small number of cities in B.C. currently have their own lobbyist registries, however, the lack of proper provincial legislation limits what can be enforced if an individual or entity is in violation. The City of Vancouver did attempt by way of a motion from former Mayor Kennedy Stewart to implement a lobbyist registry, however, the motion did not garner a majority vote.