Anti-AI Advocates and Energy Companies Headline February Lobby Reports
Plus: Mining and Indigenous issues figure highly in monthly communications with public office holders
Welcome to another edition of the monthly Do Not Pass Go Lobby Report. This is an ongoing effort to shed light on who’s trying to influence who in Ottawa, and as always, it’s a continuing work in progress. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support work like this.
As usual, we’re highlighting the corporate interests that are lobbying the most in a given month and the public office holders who are meeting with them the most frequently. This month’s edition, covering all federal lobbying communications for the month of February, features a small format tweak. One individual company and office holder are being spotlighted for standing out from the pack for one reason or another.
The overall top lobbyists for the month by total communications reports were Les Producteurs de lait du Quebec (124), the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association (68), the Semiahmoo First Nation (55), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (51, or 70 if CUPE B.C. is included), and the University of Saskatchewan (35).
CORPORATE LOBBYIST OF THE MONTH:
Secure Future Research (34)
Leading all corporate lobbyists in total communications reports for the month is U.K.-based Secure Future Research Ltd., which operates as ControlAI. This isn’t your typical entrant on our list of top business lobbyists because the company is a non-profit dedicated to warning lawmakers about the dangers – both economic and existential – of artificial intelligence.
The company’s listed Canadian representative is Samuel Buteau, a research scientist and consulting program officer based in Gatineau. Among the company’s total 34 reported communications for February, Buteau testified before Canada’s Senate Committee on Human Rights on Feb. 23, telling members that “AI companies are currently gambling with the life of every human being on the planet.”
The company met broadly with public office holders, mainly Members of Parliament, throughout the month. Buteau did not return a request for comment for further details on his communications.
Suncor (30)
Calgary-based Suncor placed second in February, with most of its lobbying focused on Natural Resources Canada and the department of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The company’s communications were scattered throughout the month, with the biggest name being a meeting with deputy ECCC minister Mollie Johnson on Feb. 26.
Reported details for that communication including discussing regulatory frameworks “to enable successful closure and reclamation of oil sands mines.”
Separately, three days earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in a Colorado-based climate accountability lawsuit against Suncor and ExxonMobil. The news is considered a positive for the two companies as the state’s supreme court refused to dismiss the lawsuit, which has been brought by the city of Boulder.
Enbridge (28)
The natural gas company, also based in Calgary, directed much of its lobbying in February to ECCC and Natural Resources Canada, as well as Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs (CIRNA), with many communications happening on Feb. 9 and 10.
Valerie Gideon, deputy CIRNA minister, was the biggest name lobbied, who on Feb. 10 discussed “regulatory efficiency, as it pertains to environmental assessments and climate policies and taxation” as well as the North American energy market, indigenous engagement and pipeline projects, according to reported details.
Enbridge has been clashing with indigenous groups over pipelines, including the recently begun Line 5 project between Wisconsin and Ontario. As climate news site Grist points out, the company has agreements to pay for riot suits, training and policing hours for Wisconsin law enforcement involved in protests over its projects.
Air Products Canada (28)
The Canadian subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based Air Products and Chemicals did all of its monthly lobbying between Feb. 17 and 19, focusing on Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), Finance Canada and ECCC, with the biggest name again being ECCC deputy minister Mollie Johnson.
The company was pushing for tax credits under several government programs, including the Clean Hydrogen Investment Tax Credit and the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Investment Tax Credit.
Air Products has been facing criticism for several years now over delays to a “blue” hydrogen project in Edmonton, which the federal government helped fund with $300 million through its strategic innovation fund, as well as Alberta’s contribution of $161 million. Last year, the company said its Edmonton operation was an “under-performing asset” that wasn’t expected to be profitable.
Agnico Eagle Mines (27)
Gold miner Agnico Eagle Mines makes its second appearance on Do Not Pass Go’s monthly lobby report with 27 reported communications in February after posting 44 in December. The company focused mainly on Employment and Social Development Canada, National Defence and Natural Resources Canada, with many meetings happening on Feb. 5.
Its reported messages involved advocating for “the benefits of mining to the Canadian economy, including indigenous reconciliation” and raising awareness of new projects in Nunavut.
The company last month increased its ownership stake to 13 per cent in fellow Toronto-based resources company Maple Gold Mines.
LOBBIED OFFICE HOLDER OF THE MONTH:
Erin O’Brien, Natural Resources Canada (34)
Though she only placed second on the list of most-lobbied public office holders in February, O’Brien – assistant deputy minister and member of the Natural Resources Committee – is notable because 12 of those records involved Shell Canada.
Communications with the company took place throughout the month and list “decarbonization strategies” and “timely fiscal and regulatory policies and programs to advance energy transition and diversification” among reported details.
Neither O’Brien nor Natural Resources Canada responded to requests for further information on the meetings. Shell, meanwhile, was in the news last month for needing an exploration breakthrough to make up for a major expected shortage of oil output due to its maturing supply.
36: Galen Richardson, director of stakeholder relations, Privacy Council Office. This is the third lobby report we’ve published here that highlights individual leaders, and this is the third time Richardson has made the top five. In February, he met with a broad array of companies and organizations, including B.C.-based shipping service Trigon Pacific Terminals, the Supplier Diversity Alliance Canada advocacy group, and Whitehorse-based solar energy provider Solvest.
34: Paul Moen, chief of staff, ISED. Moen also met broadly, including three times with Australian mining company Wyloo, twice with B.C.-based carbon removal provider Svante, and twice with Air Products Canada, mentioned above.
32: Brenna Walsh, senior policy advisor, ECCC. Walsh’s communications for the month were broad, including a pair of meetings with the Environmental Defence Canada advocacy group, Calgary-based natural gas producer Tourmaline and B.C.-based ship fuel provider Seaspan Energy.
31: Yasmin Atassi, senior policy advisor, ISED. Like Richardson and O’Brien, Atassi is on her way to becoming an all-star on this list. In February, her meetings including three each with Wyloo, Honda Canada and Ford Canada.
Wow this post pulls the curtains back for the general public.
Lobbying is practically done every day and the public rarely gets to see who does the lobbying.
A lot of public policy is influenced by lobbying.
Thanks for giving us a slice of the real world.