Regardless of their professional title, lobbyists are persons who, in exchange for a consideration, acting on behalf of a client, an enterprise or an organization, communicate with public office holders to influence their decision-making. These communications may be done in writing, by phone or in person.
For example, lobbyists may be:
At the parliamentary level:
At the government level:
At the municipal level:
A lobbying activity is any oral or written communication with a public office holder in an attempt to influence or that may reasonably be considered by the initiator of the communication as capable of influencing a decision concerning:
The arranging by a lobbyist of a meeting between a public office holder and any other person is considered to be a lobbying activity.
Any communication made by a lobbyist to a public office holder with a view to influencing a legislative, regulatory or administrative decision must be made transparently, meaning that it must be declared in the register of lobbying activities, Carrefour Lobby Québec.
An urban planner makes approaches with the City of Saguenay in order to obtain a construction permit and other authorizations under the Act respecting land use planning and development for the implementation of a CPE childcare centre.
A general manager of an enterprise and representatives of its subsidiaries take approaches to obtain an authorization from the Autorité des marchés financiers to enter into public contracts and subcontracts under the Integrity in Public Contracts Act.
A president of an association of aluminium companies makes representations to the Ministère de l’Économie, de la Science et de l’Innovation in order to influence the maintenance of an orientation on the disposal of blocks of energy of Québec smelters, enabling them to ensure their development and contribute to job creation.
A consultant lobbyist makes approaches with the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux on behalf of a client, a pharmaceutical product distributor, in order to request the amendment of the Act to reduce the cost of certain medications covered by the basic prescription drug insurance plan by allowing calls for tenders.