Lobbyists for Canada’s oil and gas industry met with federal officials at least 1,135 times in 2024, a slight decline from the previous year but still a “relentless” pace of activity, claims the author of a new report.
Published Tuesday, the report from Environmental Defence Canada used the federal Registry of Lobbyists to track the meetings with elected officials and federal government staff.
Emilia Belliveau, the group's program manager for energy transition, said oil and gas companies’ widespread access to public officials comes as climate policy in Canada has been repeatedly delayed and weakened, and moved closer to what the industry is seeking.
“The lobbying numbers are staggering on their own. But this is just one piece of the puzzle,” said Belliveau, a former B.C. government analyst.
“This is part of a bigger fight for the integrity of our democratic institutions.”
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Members of Parliament were found to be the target of 311 meetings with oil and gas lobbyists — including 216 visits with Conservative MPs, 91 with Liberal MPs and four with NDP MPs.
Chrystia Freeland met with oil and gas lobbyists 19 times in 2024 — more than any other minister. The former finance minister and deputy prime minister is currently running for leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
North Vancouver MP and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, meanwhile, met with oil and gas lobbyists 15 times, second only to Freeland.
Past research cited in the report shows the fossil fuel industry was the second largest lobbying sector behind agriculture and ahead of manufacturing.
At a ministry level, oil and gas lobbyists met most with staff from Natural Resources Canada (250 meetings) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (168 meetings), the report found. Meanwhile, the Privy Council Office, which supports the Prime Minister and Cabinet, met with oil and gas lobbyists 143 times last year.
On a company basis, the most active oil and gas industry lobbyists worked for Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB) — North America’s largest natural gas supplier — and Suncor Energy (TSX:SU), a major oil sands producer. Together, representatives for the two companies met with members of the federal government 200 times, the report found.
From British Columbia, FortisBC lobbied members of the federal government 36 times, while Woodfibre LNG Ltd. representatives met with government 47 times, the report found.
Numbers underestimate access
The lobbyist registry does not provide detailed information on what’s discussed when lobbyists and federal officials meet.
The figures in the report also do not capture the entire extent of the industry’s access to elected officials and their staff. That’s because the data only includes lobbyist-initiated meetings, not those arranged by the government.
The report points to an interview in which Wilkinson disclosed government had created a “dedicated process” to work with the Pathways Alliance — an industry group made up of six of the biggest companies working in Alberta's oil sands.
“In addition, due to loopholes in the federal lobbying law, not all meetings and communications that we might consider to be 'lobbying' are required to be disclosed,” the report says.
“Lobbyists are only required to register and disclose their lobbying if they are paid on a contract to lobby or are lobbying more than 20 per cent of their work time for a business or organization.”
The Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada defines lobbying as communication with a public office holder to make, develop, or amend bills, resolutions, proposed legislation, regulations, policies or programs.
Lobbying also encompasses efforts to gain access to federal government contracts, grants, contributions or other forms of financial benefit.
