Who is a Public Office Holder?
Interpretation Bulletin #2
Summary
If you lobby a “public office holder” in Ontario, you may need to register with the Lobbyists Registrar. This Bulletin explains who is “a public office holder”.
Interpretation
These people are “public office holders”:
- every employee in any ministry of the Government of Ontario
- Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP)
- minister, e.g., the Minister of Health
- employee in a MPP or minister’s office
- member of the Ontario Provincial Police
- public appointee i.e. any person appointed to an office or body by, or with the approval of, the Lieutenant Governor in Council or a minister of the Crown, e.g. appointed board members of Ontario agencies (not judges or independent officers like the Ombudsman)
- officer, director or employee of the public organizations listed in Appendix A.
If you aren’t sure if you are lobbying a public office holder, contact the Office for an Advisory Opinion.
Application
This Bulletin applies to the following types of lobbyists:
- consultant lobbyists
- in-house lobbyists (organizations) and (persons and partnerships)
Relevant Legislation
Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998
- s. 1(1)(b)(ii) “lobby”, “public office holder”
- s. 1(3)
History
First issued: March 1, 2011
Amended on: June 4, 2015; July 1, 2016; March 30, 2020
This Bulletin was previously published as Interpretation Bulletin #1, “Determining who is a Public Office Holder”.
Authority
The Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998, makes sure that lobbying in Ontario is transparent and ethical. The Integrity Commissioner, as the Lobbyists Registrar, maintains an online public record of lobbyists and conducts investigations into non-compliance with the Act. The Registrar may issue a bulletin about the interpretation or application of the Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998.
This Bulletin provides general information. It is not legal advice. It is not a binding statement of how the Integrity Commissioner will interpret the law.
Appendix A
Officers, directors or employees of the following entities are public office holders:
- Ontario Power Generation Inc. or its subsidiaries,
- Independent Electricity System Operator,
- Every public body listed in O.Reg. 146/10 under the Public Service of Ontario Act, 2006.