Am I being lobbied?

As a public office holder you meet with a wide variety of people who want to speak with you on topics within your responsibility. Individuals, a business owner, a group of seniors or even your neighbor all have a right to communicate with you.

Communication takes many forms but for purposes of The Lobbyists Act for Saskatchewan, communication refers to specific techniques such as:

• Phone calls
• Arranging one or more meetings
• Presentations which can be either verbal or written
• Emails, letters, texts or memos

Of particular interest is a technique called “grassroots communications”. This type of lobbying occurs when, for payment and on behalf of a client or employer, individuals encourage members of the public to communicate directly with a public officer holder to influence a particular decision.  The lobbyists appeals to the public through the mass media, such as newspaper advertisements, petitions, facebook or twitter.

If someone is asking you to endorse a policy, issue a licence or permit, authorize a purchase other than by way of public tender, appoint/hire a particular individual, or arrange a meeting, that could be considered lobbying.

Each situation is different so it’s prudent to check the lobbyist registry to see if that person has registered. For additional information or clarification of a specific matter please feel free to contact the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists at 306-787-0800.