04.26.2012 08:24 AM

A lobbyist is a lobbyist is a lobbyist

I’m one.  So is the United Church and the Salvation Army.  So are plenty of folks.

What brings the word “lobbying” into disrepute is crap like this.  And, no, I’m not at all surprised to see who is at the centre of it.  As you may recall, I was prepared to swear an affidavit (as was my friend Mraz) to make clear whom was telling the truth in the Lib-Dipper merger melodrama, a couple years back.  I’m not a fan.

Setting up a meeting is a registrable act.  So too is attempting to persuade a public office holder to do something, or not do something.  The fact that one did not docket one’s time for lobbying does not also mean that one was not otherwise compensated for lobbying.  “Any amount” of lobbying, says the Conservative expert at the law firm in question, should be registered.  I agree with that.

Anyway.  What goes ’round comes ’round, as a former big shot is about to learn the hard way.

2 Comments

  1. DanO says:

    As part of my job, I from time to time lobby. Though I do not cross the threshold, and am not considered an “in-house lobbyist” because it is a very small percentage of my job, we still regsiter our activities to err on the safe side. It only takes a couple of minutes to do so, and while sometimes the forms can be annoying, it’s still pretty easy to do.

    And in Apps case, he could bill for the time to fill in the forms.

  2. Chris P says:

    What a relief Alfred Apps is gone..He drove me nuts as Liberal Party president. Good Riddance. Between himself and Stephen Ledrew they made such a mess of the party 🙁

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