{"id":11443,"date":"2020-01-22T05:22:39","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T10:22:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/?p=11443"},"modified":"2025-05-25T07:18:40","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T11:18:40","slug":"six-months-later-where-are-integrity-commissioner-rulings-on-lobbyists-who-helped-ford-campaign-and-fundraise-and-now-lobby-fords-cabinet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/six-months-later-where-are-integrity-commissioner-rulings-on-lobbyists-who-helped-ford-campaign-and-fundraise-and-now-lobby-fords-cabinet\/","title":{"rendered":"Six months later, where are Integrity Commissioner rulings on lobbyists who helped Ford campaign and fundraise and now lobby Ford\u2019s Cabinet?Six months later, where are Integrity Commissioner rulings on lobbyists who helped Ford campaign and fundraise and now lobby Ford\u2019s Cabinet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Democracy Watch sends letter to Commissioner asking for rulings<\/span><\/h3>\n\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:<\/b>
Wednesday, January 22, 2020<\/p>\n\n

OTTAWA \u2013 Today, Democracy Watch released the letter<\/a> it has sent to Ontario Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake asking for public rulings soon on lobbyists who worked in senior roles on Doug Ford\u2019s and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario\u2019s (PC Party) election campaign and\/or fundraised for or advised Ford and the PCs since the election, and are now lobbying Ford and\/or his Cabinet ministers.<\/p>\n\n

It has been illegal under Ontario\u2019s Lobbyists Registration Act<\/em> (LR Act<\/em>) since July 1, 2016 (when a new rule was enacted, section 3.4<\/a>) for an Ontario lobbyist to do anything for a politician or government official that caused them to be in a real or potential conflict of interest or would make it improper for them to further the interests of the lobbyist or their clients.<\/p>\n\n

Democracy Watch filed a complaint last June<\/a> with Integrity Commissioner Wake about lobbyists Chris Benedetti, Paul Pellegrini and Matthew Gibson of Sussex Strategy Group<\/a> violating the rule by being on the organizing committee for Premier Ford\u2019s February \u201c2019 Toronto Leader\u2019s Dinner\u201d fundraising event. And Democracy Watch also filed a complaint last July<\/a> about lobbyist Melissa Lantsman, who is lobbying the Ford government after advising Doug Ford<\/a> and the Progressive Conservative Party (PC Party)<\/a> during the spring 2018 provincial election campaign, serving on Ford\u2019s transition team, and serving currently as Regional Vice President for Toronto for the PC Party<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

“Given the clear evidence set out in Democracy Watch\u2019s complaints last summer, Integrity Commissioner Wake should do the right thing and finally issue his first public ruling on the rule that clearly prohibits lobbyists from campaigning or fundraising for a politician and then lobbying them,\u201d <\/em>said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch. \u201cThat ruling should find everyone who worked for Doug Ford or PC Party headquarters during the spring 2018 election campaign or continues to serve the party or Premier Ford as an adviser, fundraiser or representative, is violating this key lobbying ethics rule.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe public has a clear right to see every ruling Integrity Commissioner Wake has issued about lobbyists lobbying politicians they have helped in any way, so the public can be sure he is enforcing the law fairly and properly, and there is nothing in the law that prohibits him from making all his rulings public,\u201d<\/em> said Conacher.<\/p>\n\n

Integrity Commissioner Wake has not issued a public ruling on the LR Act<\/em> rule since it came into force in June 2016, and his Guidance for Lobbyists on Political Activity<\/em> document<\/a> published in 2018 is very vague, especially concerning the time period lobbyists must stop lobbying after assisting an election candidate or politician.<\/p>\n\n

In contrast, the federal Commissioner of Lobbying\u2019s Guidance<\/em> document<\/a> on lobbyist political activities states clearly that if a lobbyist does anything significant for a politician then they can\u2019t lobby for four years \u2013 a \u201cfull election cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The Integrity Commissioner claimed in his 2018-2019 Annual Report (p. 47)<\/a> that the advisory opinions he gives to lobbyists under section 15 of the LR Act<\/em><\/a> are confidential, but there is nothing in that section or any other section of the LR Act<\/em> that requires them to be kept secret. They are actually rulings by the Integrity Commissioner, and the public has a right to know how the Commissioner has ruled on lobbyists\u2019 actions. The 2018-2019 Annual Report states that the Commissioner issued 16 advisory opinions to lobbyists who had been politically active before the election (see p. 46).<\/p>\n\n

Based on what the LR Act<\/em> (section 3.4<\/a>) and the Members\u2019 Integrity Act<\/em> (sections 2, 3, 4 and 6(1)<\/a>) say, and the unanimous Federal Court of Appeal ruling Democracy Watch won in 2009<\/a> (paras. 52-53), and a similar federal lobbying rule<\/a>, and past rulings concerning what are improper actions are by politicians, Democracy Watch\u2019s position is that the conflict of interest created by playing a senior role in a politician\u2019s or party\u2019s election campaign or serving as an advisor afterwards does not magically disappear after one year \u2013 it lasts at least four years after the lobbyist has helped the politician or party, past the next election if the politician remains in power.<\/p>\n\n

If the politician is the Premier, Democracy Watch\u2019s position is that the conflict of interest lasts even longer because it is a very significant favour to help someone become Premier with all the power, pay and perks that position entails. Democracy Watch\u2019s position is also that assisting a party leader with their election campaign, or providing ongoing assistance after the election, creates a conflict of interest that applies to the entire Cabinet, as the Premier chooses each Cabinet minister and they all serve at the pleasure of the Premier, so they all share the Premier\u2019s conflict of interest.<\/p>\n\n

As a result, Democracy Watch\u2019s position is that anyone who worked on the PC Party campaign, or is serving in a senior position or advising the Premier or the PC Party now, is prohibited by the rule in the LR Act<\/em> from lobbying the Premier and any of his Cabinet ministers.<\/p>\n\n

The only clue to Integrity Commissioner Wake\u2019s standard for a cooling-off period for a lobbyist who assists a politician are that Chris Froggatt, who was vice-chair of Ford\u2019s and the PC Party\u2019s election campaign, told the Globe<\/em> last July<\/a> that he was advised by the Integrity Commissioner to refrain from lobbying for one year after the Ford government took power. And in that same Globe<\/em> article Kory Teneycke, who also played a senior role in the PC\u2019s election campaign, was paraphrased as saying the Integrity Commissioner had advised him not to lobby the Premier, his office or the Cabinet office. Both Froggatt and Teneycke also continue to serve as senior advisers<\/a> to Premier Ford and the PC Party.<\/p>\n\n

Democracy Watch also plans to file complaints with the Integrity Commissioner about Chris Froggatt and Kory Teneycke and the lobbyists they employ at their firms.<\/p>\n\n

– 30 \u2013<\/p>\n

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:<\/strong>
Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch
Tel: (613) 241-5179
Cell: 416-546-3443
Email: info@democracywatch.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

Democracy Watch\u2019s Government Ethics Campaign<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

Democracy Watch sends letter to Commissioner asking for rulings<\/span><\/h3>\n\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:<\/b>
Wednesday, January 22, 2020<\/p>\n\n

OTTAWA \u2013 Today, Democracy Watch released the letter<\/a> it has sent to Ontario Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake asking for public rulings soon on lobbyists who worked in senior roles on Doug Ford\u2019s and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario\u2019s (PC Party) election campaign and\/or fundraised for or advised Ford and the PCs since the election, and are now lobbying Ford and\/or his Cabinet ministers.<\/p>\n\n

It has been illegal under Ontario\u2019s Lobbyists Registration Act<\/em> (LR Act<\/em>) since July 1, 2016 (when a new rule was enacted, section 3.4<\/a>) for an Ontario lobbyist to do anything for a politician or government official that caused them to be in a real or potential conflict of interest or would make it improper for them to further the interests of the lobbyist or their clients.<\/p>\n\n

Democracy Watch filed a complaint last June<\/a> with Integrity Commissioner Wake about lobbyists Chris Benedetti, Paul Pellegrini and Matthew Gibson of Sussex Strategy Group<\/a> violating the rule by being on the organizing committee for Premier Ford\u2019s February \u201c2019 Toronto Leader\u2019s Dinner\u201d fundraising event. And Democracy Watch also filed a complaint last July<\/a> about lobbyist Melissa Lantsman, who is lobbying the Ford government after advising Doug Ford<\/a> and the Progressive Conservative Party (PC Party)<\/a> during the spring 2018 provincial election campaign, serving on Ford\u2019s transition team, and serving currently as Regional Vice President for Toronto for the PC Party<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

“Given the clear evidence set out in Democracy Watch\u2019s complaints last summer, Integrity Commissioner Wake should do the right thing and finally issue his first public ruling on the rule that clearly prohibits lobbyists from campaigning or fundraising for a politician and then lobbying them,\u201d <\/em>said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch. \u201cThat ruling should find everyone who worked for Doug Ford or PC Party headquarters during the spring 2018 election campaign or continues to serve the party or Premier Ford as an adviser, fundraiser or representative, is violating this key lobbying ethics rule.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe public has a clear right to see every ruling Integrity Commissioner Wake has issued about lobbyists lobbying politicians they have helped in any way, so the public can be sure he is enforcing the law fairly and properly, and there is nothing in the law that prohibits him from making all his rulings public,\u201d<\/em> said Conacher.<\/p>\n\n

Integrity Commissioner Wake has not issued a public ruling on the LR Act<\/em> rule since it came into force in June 2016, and his Guidance for Lobbyists on Political Activity<\/em> document<\/a> published in 2018 is very vague, especially concerning the time period lobbyists must stop lobbying after assisting an election candidate or politician.<\/p>\n\n

In contrast, the federal Commissioner of Lobbying\u2019s Guidance<\/em> document<\/a> on lobbyist political activities states clearly that if a lobbyist does anything significant for a politician then they can\u2019t lobby for four years \u2013 a \u201cfull election cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The Integrity Commissioner claimed in his 2018-2019 Annual Report (p. 47)<\/a> that the advisory opinions he gives to lobbyists under section 15 of the LR Act<\/em><\/a> are confidential, but there is nothing in that section or any other section of the LR Act<\/em> that requires them to be kept secret. They are actually rulings by the Integrity Commissioner, and the public has a right to know how the Commissioner has ruled on lobbyists\u2019 actions. The 2018-2019 Annual Report states that the Commissioner issued 16 advisory opinions to lobbyists who had been politically active before the election (see p. 46).<\/p>\n\n

Based on what the LR Act<\/em> (section 3.4<\/a>) and the Members\u2019 Integrity Act<\/em> (sections 2, 3, 4 and 6(1)<\/a>) say, and the unanimous Federal Court of Appeal ruling Democracy Watch won in 2009<\/a> (paras. 52-53), and a similar federal lobbying rule<\/a>, and past rulings concerning what are improper actions are by politicians, Democracy Watch\u2019s position is that the conflict of interest created by playing a senior role in a politician\u2019s or party\u2019s election campaign or serving as an advisor afterwards does not magically disappear after one year \u2013 it lasts at least four years after the lobbyist has helped the politician or party, past the next election if the politician remains in power.<\/p>\n\n

If the politician is the Premier, Democracy Watch\u2019s position is that the conflict of interest lasts even longer because it is a very significant favour to help someone become Premier with all the power, pay and perks that position entails. Democracy Watch\u2019s position is also that assisting a party leader with their election campaign, or providing ongoing assistance after the election, creates a conflict of interest that applies to the entire Cabinet, as the Premier chooses each Cabinet minister and they all serve at the pleasure of the Premier, so they all share the Premier\u2019s conflict of interest.<\/p>\n\n

As a result, Democracy Watch\u2019s position is that anyone who worked on the PC Party campaign, or is serving in a senior position or advising the Premier or the PC Party now, is prohibited by the rule in the LR Act<\/em> from lobbying the Premier and any of his Cabinet ministers.<\/p>\n\n

The only clue to Integrity Commissioner Wake\u2019s standard for a cooling-off period for a lobbyist who assists a politician are that Chris Froggatt, who was vice-chair of Ford\u2019s and the PC Party\u2019s election campaign, told the Globe<\/em> last July<\/a> that he was advised by the Integrity Commissioner to refrain from lobbying for one year after the Ford government took power. And in that same Globe<\/em> article Kory Teneycke, who also played a senior role in the PC\u2019s election campaign, was paraphrased as saying the Integrity Commissioner had advised him not to lobby the Premier, his office or the Cabinet office. Both Froggatt and Teneycke also continue to serve as senior advisers<\/a> to Premier Ford and the PC Party.<\/p>\n\n

Democracy Watch also plans to file complaints with the Integrity Commissioner about Chris Froggatt and Kory Teneycke and the lobbyists they employ at their firms.<\/p>\n\n

– 30 \u2013<\/p>\n

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:<\/strong>
Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch
Tel: (613) 241-5179
Cell: 416-546-3443
Email: info@democracywatch.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

Democracy Watch\u2019s Government Ethics Campaign<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Democracy Watch sends letter to Commissioner asking for rulings FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Wednesday, January 22, 2020 OTTAWA \u2013 Today, Democracy Watch released the letter it has sent to Ontario Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake asking for public rulings soon on lobbyists who worked in senior roles on Doug Ford\u2019s and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11443"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18487,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11443\/revisions\/18487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}