,

Breaking Myths: The Misunderstood World of Canadian Lobbying

Lisa Kirbie

Breaking Myths: The Misunderstood World of Canadian Lobbying

When you ask someone what they do for a living and they say “I’m a lobbyist,” you may not know what that means beyond what you’ve seen in the movies. Lobbying gets a bad reputation because lobbyists, frankly, are terrible at dispelling myths about their work; including pointing out that the Canadian advocacy landscape is highly regulated and the work is an important part of democracy.

Recently, high-profile lobbyists have been in the news and at least one opinion editorial has been written that describes lobbyists as “useless”—something we know firsthand is not true.

Blackbird CEO Lisa Kirbie speaks to why lobbying is important, and how it can actually help those who do not traditionally have a voice at the table.

Tweet from Lisa Kirbie: "Since lobbying seems to be the #cdnpoli Friday topic, here are some of the things I lobby for, which can be publicly found on the OCL registry. I'm required to post who hired me, what I'm lobbying for and who I lobby - we don't just lobby govt, we lobby oppo members, too."
Check out the link in this image for the full X (Twitter) thread.

Lisa highlights that lobbying is not reserved for corporations and that some may be surprised by the kinds of causes lobbyists work to advance.

Tweet from Lisa Kirbie: "- Health solutions for First Nations, Metis & Inuit communities - Mental wellness - Fish and wildlife preservation - Arctic scientific research - Broadband in northern communities - Reconciliation and Treaty goals - Economic policies that support women's equality"
Tweet from Lisa Kirbie: "Sometimes I’m hired by corporations, sometimes Indigenous governments, sometimes by a coalition or group who’ve come together on a common issue - you know, people seeking change. But they don’t know how the policy or legislative processes work and don’t have time to learn." Tweet 2: "So, they hire someone who does. Just like I take my car to a mechanic when it needs repairs or my accountant does my taxes. There’s a really important other piece to lobbying that people are forgetting: lobbying is a part of a healthy democracy. It gives people a voice."

While lobbyists like Lisa are doing their work in Canada, she notes that the job is extremely regulated and that the strict rules in place across the country are a good thing.

Tweet from Lisa Kirbie: "Lobbying is highly regulated. I could go to jail or be fined if I don’t adhere to Canada’s lobbying rules. It not like Thank You for Smoking (which is an excellent movie but very American). There’s strict limits to what I (and everyone else) can donate to political parties."
Tweet from Lisa Kirbie: "Why is this important? Because we have rules against buying access, which means, unlike the US, we have to conduct research, frame arguments, do deep policy dives, align our narratives etc - this is good! We have to use our brains & knowledge of the system to get things done."
Click this image to view on X (Twitter)’s webpage.

As evidenced in MP Michelle Rempel Garner’s post above: it’s not just the elected government that lobbyists work with; it’s opposition members, too. Their parties play a major role in holding the government accountable and enacting lasting, meaningful change that benefits those whose voices may not otherwise be heard.

Have questions about lobbying, or need government relations services? Reach out to us: [email protected]

About Lisa Kirbie, Blackbird CEO

Lisa Kirbie founded Blackbird Strategies in 2019 and advocates for change, bringing her passion and experience to drive results for our clients. Originally from Canada’s west coast, Lisa relocated to Ontario in 2002 and spent nearly a decade working on Parliament Hill. Before founding Blackbird, Lisa worked for a public sector not-for-profit agency then moved to a communications and government relations firm, where she was the managing partner, leading its federal government relations department and Indigenous practice.