To read our letter to the Office of the Ethics Commissioner, click here. To read the call to action from the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organization’s, click here.
This week, a reminder that sometimes it’s best to leave well enough alone and to avoid making change for the sake of making change. The recommended changes to the Alberta Lobbyists Act from the Office of the Ethics Commissioner are just such an example. Before you close your window because the idea of reading about policy makes you want to take a long nap, let us explain.
Lobbying is communicating with government officials to explain specific interests and positions on issues to affect public policy or government decision making. At YW Calgary, we believe we have an obligation to speak up and speak out for the women with whom we work – as well as those women we hope never to meet – to affect long-term change through strong policy development.
The Alberta Lobbyists Act was first proposed in 2007 as a way of ensuring organizations who are lobbying do so in a way that is clear and responsible. The Act is intended to increase Albertan’s confidence that government is acting with integrity in their decisions.
In 2007, non-profit organizations in Alberta brought forward serious concerns about how they would be affected. The concerns led to organizations who work for general “public benefit” being exempted from the Act. This exemption recognized the fundamental difference between lobbying for policy change aimed for public benefits – like ending homelessness – and lobbying for a commercial interest. This allowed organizations like YW Calgary to continue to develop collaborative relationships with government officials to meaningfully work to the benefit of vulnerable populations.
In 2016, the Office of the Ethics Commissioner began the process of reviewing the Lobbyists Act. After asking non-profits and other interested parties to provide input, the Commissioner recommended a number of changes including that non-profit organizations (as well as charities with five or more employees) who chose to participate in public policy advocacy activities be required to register as lobbyists. This would have a devastating impact on non-profits ability to advocate for those who struggle to speak up and speak out.
These recommended changes come after input from YW Calgary, Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organization’s (CCVO), Volunteer Alberta and the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (to name a few) specifically advised against such action. The recommendations are deeply concerning and will fundamentally change non-profits relationships with public officials. When all communication outside of a written request from government is considered lobbying, it handcuffs non-profits ability to affect change at a policy level.
As well, requiring public benefit non-profits to register as lobbyists adds a completely unnecessary layer of administrative legwork from the required tracking information: quite simply creating overhead.
For example, we would be required to report any meetings with government officials within 30 days of the meeting occurring and to release plans related to intended lobbying months in advance. Such requirements – combined with the murky manner by which public policy conversations actually materialize – often adjunct to an MLA tour or a contract review meeting with a government funder – are unrealistic.
These requirements are on top of providing critical service supports – like shelter for women fleeing abuse – and the reporting required related to such contracted service provision. If the recommendations are adopted, we predict there would be a harmful chilling of advocacy work across the sector.
Boards of Directors may fear being in violation of the Act and face a minimum $25,000 first fine. Ultimately, this impacts our clients, our ability to move the needle on issues like poverty, homelessness and ending violence against women.
YW Calgary is fervently against these proposed changes. Our partners and collaborators at Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organization’s issued a call to action for all non-profits in Alberta to write their MLA, the Chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Resource Stewardship (MLA Rod Loyola) and urge them to keep the current exemption for public benefit nonprofits. Click here to read more on why we are opposed to these changes.
